Neisseria gonorrhoeae colonises the genital tract of oestradiol-treated germ-free female mice

Germ-free BALB/c mice treated with oestradiol and inoculated intravaginally with a serum-resistant strain or a freshly isolated, piliated strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were colonised vaginally. The organisms were recovered intermittently for a month or longer and there was evidence that they could reach the upper genital tract. Mice given progesterone and those not treated with either hormone did not become colonised. This is the first evidence of sustained mucosal colonisation in animals other than chimpanzees.