Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T21:41:05.475Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Colonization resistance of the digestive tract in conventional and antibiotic-treated mice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

D. Van der Waaij ,
J. M. Berghuis-de Vries  and
J. E. C. Lekkerkerk-van der Wees
D. Van der Waaij
Affiliation:
Radiobiological Institute TNO, Lange Kleiweg, Rijswjk, The Netherlands
J. M. Berghuis-de Vries
Affiliation:
Radiobiological Institute TNO, Lange Kleiweg, Rijswjk, The Netherlands
J. E. C. Lekkerkerk-van der Wees
Affiliation:
Radiobiological Institute TNO, Lange Kleiweg, Rijswjk, The Netherlands
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The effect of oral administration of antibiotics on the intestinal flora of conventional mice and their resistance to colonization by orally introduced Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied. Colonization resistance (CR) was expressed as the log of the oral bacterial dose followed by a persistent take in 50 % of the contaminated animals. The intestinal flora was virtually eliminated by the antibiotics and this elimination was accompanied by a precipitous fall of CR. CR gradually returned to normal values during the period of repopulation of the intestinal tract by the organisms surviving the treatment. Antibiotic treatment resulted in the disappearance of Enterobacteriaceae, enterococci, staphylococci and yeasts and, under appropriate housing conditions, the animals remained free of these organisms indefinitely. Germ-free mice contaminated with the intestinal flora of an antibiotic-treated animal and their offspring housed in a germ-free isolator showed high values of CR. Their intestinal flora consisted of anaerobic bacteria only. Apparently, these anaerobes are responsible for CR in these and in conventional mice.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 69 , Issue 3 , September 1971 , pp. 405 - 411
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

References

REFERENCES

Abrams, G. D. & Bishop, J. E. (1966). Effect of the normal microbial flora on the resistance of the small intestine to infection. Journal of Bacteriology 92, 1604.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Abrams, G. D. & Bishop, J. E. (1967). Effect of the normal microbial flora on gastro-intestinal motility. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 126, 301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bohnhoff, M. & Miller, C. P. (1962). Enhanced susceptibility to Salmonella infection in streptomycin-treated mice. Journal of Infectious Diseases 111, 117.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bohnhoff, M., Miller, C. P. & Martin, W. R. (1964 a). Resistance of the mouse's intestinal tract to experimental Salmonella infection. I. Factors which interfere with the initiation of infection by oral inoculation. Journal of Experimental Medicine 120, 805.Google Scholar
Bohnhoff, M., Miller, C. P. & Martin, W. R. (1964 b). Resistance of the mouse's intestinal tract to experimental Salmonella infection. II. Factors responsible for its loss following streptomycin treatment. Journal of Experimental Medicine 120, 817.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meynell, G. G. (1963). Antibacterial mechanisms of the mouse gut. II. The role of Eh and volatile fatty acids in the normal gut. British Journal of Experimental Pathology 44, 209.Google ScholarPubMed
Savage, D. C. & Dubos, R. (1968). Alterations in the mouse cecum and its flora produced by antibacterial drugs. Journal of Experimental Medicine 128, 97.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schaedler, R. W., Dubos, R. & Costello, R. (1965). Association of germfree mice with bacteria isolated from normal mice. Journal of Experimental Medicine 122, 77.Google Scholar
Sneath, P. H. A. (1956). Cultural and biochemical characteristics of the genus Chromobacterium. Journal of General Microbiology 15, 70.Google Scholar
Waaij, D. van der(1968). The persistent absence of Enterobacteriaceae from the intestinal flora of mice following antibiotic treatment. Journal of Infectious Diseases 118, 32.Google Scholar
Waaij, D. van der (1969). Similarities between GF mice and mice with an antibiotic decontaminated digestive tract. In Germfree Biology, p. 181. New York: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Waaij, D. van der & Andreas, A. H. (1971). Prevention of airborne contamination and cross-contamination in germ-free mice by laminar flow. Journal of Hygiene 69, 83.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waaij, D. van der & Sturm, C. A. (1968). Antibiotic decontamination of the digestive tract of mice. Technical procedures. Laboratory Animal Care 18, 1.Google Scholar
Waaij, D. van der, Vries, J. M. de & Lekkerkerk, J. E. C. (1970). Eliminating bacteria from monkeys with antibiotics. In Infections and Immunosuppression in Subhuman Primates, p. 21. Copenhagen: Munksgaard.Google Scholar
Waaij, D. van der, Zimmerman, W. M. T. & Bekkum, D. W. van (1963). An outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in a colony previously free of this infection. Laboratory Animal Care 13, 46.Google Scholar
Wensinck, F. & Ruseler-van Embden, J. G. H. (1971). The intestinal flora of colonization resistant mice. Journal of Hygiene 69, 413.Google Scholar