Yonsei Med J.  2013 Mar;54(2):489-493. 10.3349/ymj.2013.54.2.489.

Preventive Effects of Lactobacillus Mixture on Experimental E. coli Urinary Tract Infection in Infant Rats

• Lee JW
• Lee JH
• Sung SH
• Lee SJ

• KMID: 1503915
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2013.54.2.489

Abstract

PURPOSE
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an ascending infection of fecal uropathogens, urogenital lactobacilli are suggested to play a role in the prevention of UTI. This study was to investigate whether lactobacillus mixture (LM) could prevent the experimental infantile UTI.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The LM were composed of three lactobacillus strains (L. gasseri, L. rhamnosus, and L. reuteri). Mother rats were grouped as lactobacillus (LB) group I (LB I, n=22), II (LB II, n=24) and control (n=20). LB I and LB II were fed with LM (1 mL/day) and control with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) from late pregnancy through lactation. All newborn rats were breast-fed and their urine and stool were collected at the end of the 3rd week to compare lactobacillus colony. Then, infant rats from LB II were treated with intravesical instillation of LM. Infant rats from LB I and control were instilled with PBS. Twenty-four hours later, experimental UTI was introduced by intravesical instillation of standard E. coli strain. After 72 hours later, the infant rats were sacrificed for histologic examination.
RESULTS
Lactobacilli colonies in urine and stool were not statistically different among the three groups. The incidence of pyelonephritis in the LB II was 16.7% (4/24), LB I 72.7% (16.22) and control 75.0% (15/20) (p=0.015). The incidence of cystitis was not significantly different among the three groups.
CONCLUSION
The intravesically instilled LM significantly prevented experimental pyelonephritis in infant rats, however, LM administered orally to the pregnant and lactating mother rats did not.

Keyword

Lactobacillus; intravesical instillation; cystitis; pyelonephritis

MeSH Terms

Animals
Escherichia coli Infections/*prevention & control
*Lactobacillus
Probiotics/*therapeutic use
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Urinary Tract Infections/*prevention & control

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Inhibitory zone (diameter, mm) at different dosage of lactobacilllus mixture against standard E. coli (ATCC 25922). The optimal dosage (CFU/mL) for maximal inhibition was dertermined as 1×1010 CFU/mL.

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  Fig. 2 Stool and urine lactobacillus colonization in lactobacillus I, II and control group.

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  Fig. 3 Cystitis and pyelonephritis score in experimental E. coli urinary tract infection (cystitis score p>0.05, pyelonephritis score *p=0.006 vs. control).

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