PMC

Bacterial persistence in the bladders of mice infected with UPEC. Bladders were removed from the indicated mice 6 weeks after intraurethral infection with UTI89 (M1 to M5) or UTI89 SR (M6 to M15), and the bacterial titers in the tissue were determined. K, Kidney scarring; B, persistent bacteriuria; U, uninfected.

Kinetic analysis of urine and feces after infection with UPEC. C57BL/6 mice were infected with UTI89 (M1 to M5) or UTI89 SR (M6 to M15), and bacterial titers in urine (▪) and feces (□) samples were determined every other day for 6 weeks (42 days). Five mice were together in each cage with M1 to M5 (cage 1), M6 to M10 (cage 2), and M11 to M15 (cage 3). M10 was not infected with UTI89 SR. ✽, No urine collected; ♦, no feces collected.

Effect of SXT on bacterial persistence in the bladder. C57BL/6 mice were infected with UTI89 SR and treated with SXT for 3 days (black circles) or 10 days (red circles) or were left untreated (white circles). Bladders were harvested at days 3 and 28 after infection, and serial dilutions of the bladder homogenates were titered to determine the level of culturable UTI89 SR remaining in the bladder. The black bars indicate the median values.

Effect of SXT on bacteriuric recurrences and the fecal reservoir. C57BL/6 mice were infected intraurethrally with UTI89 SR and subsequently treated with SXT for 3 days (M31 to M35) or 10 days (M36 to M40), or left untreated (M26 to M30). Urine and fecal samples were collected at 6 h after infection and daily thereafter for 28 days, and then titers were determined for the CFU of UTI89 SR. Mouse key: M26, M31, and M36 (yellow bars); M27, M32, and M37 (blue bars); M28, M33, and M38 (red bars); M29, M34, and M39 (green bars); M30, M35, and M40 (black bars).