CMAS, enhances gonococcal burden in C57BL/6 J WT and Ifn-/- mice (D–F) and BALB/c mice treated with anti-IFNAR mAb (G–I) when administered intravaginally. (D–F) Estradiol pellet-treated WT C57BL/6 mice (n= 10/group) and Ifn-/- mice (n= 8–9/group) were colonized with N. gonorrhoeae FA1090 (3.5 × 107CFU) on day 0 and treated daily intravaginally (starting on day 0 at the time of infection and on subsequent days after swabs for CFU enumeration were obtained) with either CMP-Neu5Ac (25 g) or saline. Vaginas were swabbed daily to enumerate CFUs. (G–I) Estradiol pellet-treated WT BALB/c mice (n= 9–10/group) were either given function-blocking anti-IFNAR mAb (MAR1-5A3, i.p., 1 mg, 500, 250, and 250 g on days −2, 0, 3, and 5, respectively) or saline, were inoculated with N. gonorrhoeae FA1090 (3.1 × 107CFU) intravaginally on day 0, and were treated daily intravaginally (starting on day 0 at the time of infection and on subsequent days after swabs for CFU enumeration were obtained) with either CMP-Neu5Ac (25 g) or saline. Vaginas were swabbed daily to enumerate CFUs.
