Fig. 5: Higher UP levels in the amniotic fluid in the presence of cervical damage.

In the afternoon of D16 of gestation, mice received either 10% N-9 in PBS or PBS control via intravaginal inoculation. After 16 h, in the morning of D17 of gestation, mice received either Ureaplasma parvum (UP) in ureaplasma-selective medium (USM) or USM control via intravaginal inoculation. After 48 h, in the morning of D19, vaginal flushes and amniotic fluid (AF) from proximal and distal sacs were cultured in USM and UP titres were calculated using the microplate method. There was a significant increase in UP titres at the proximal and distal sites in the amniotic fluid of mice pre-treated with N-9 (n = 18) compared to pre-treatment with PBS (n = 18). No bacterial growth was detected in uninfected mice. Each dot in the dot plots represents the average of left and right horn for each mouse at either site. Error bars indicate SD. Statistical significance was assessed using unpaired t test with Welch’s correction on the log-transformed values of Ureaplasma parvum titres for PBS + UP vs. N-9 + UP at all three sites (*P < 0.05; P = 0.0356 for amniotic fluid proximal, P = 0.0466 for amniotic fluid distal). Source data are provided as a Source Data File.