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Prevention of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection in gnotobiotic mice associated with Bifidobacterium strains

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Abstract

Previous reports have shown that Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection is strongly modified by intestinal microbes. In this paper, we examined whether bifidobacteria protect against E. coli O157:H7 infections using gnotobiotic mice di-associated with Bifidobacterium strains (6 species, 9 strains) and E. coli O157:H7. Seven days after oral administration of each Bifidobacterium strain, the mice were orally infected with E. coli O157:H7 and their mortality was examined. Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis 157F-4-1 (B. infantis 157F) and B. longum subsp. longum NCC2705 (B. longum NS) protected against the lethal infection, while mice associated with all other Bifidobacterium strains, including type strains of B. longum subsp. infantis and B. longum subsp. longum, died. There were no significant differences in the numbers of E. coli O157:H7 in the faeces among the Bifidobacterium-associated mouse groups. However, the Shiga toxin concentrations in the cecal contents and sera of the GB mice associated with B. infantis 157F and B. longum NS were significantly lower than those of the other groups. However, there were no significant differences in the volatile fatty acid concentrations and histopathological lesions between these two groups. These data suggest that some strains of B. longum subsp. longum/infantis can protect against the lethal infections of E. coli O157:H7 by preventing Shiga toxin production in the cecum and/or Shiga toxin transfer from the intestinal lumen to the bloodstream.

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Abbreviations

CFU:

Colony-forming unit

EHEC:

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

GB:

Gnotobiotic

GF:

Germ-free

HUS:

Hemolytic uremic syndrome

Stx:

Shiga toxin

VFA:

Volatile fatty acid

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Ms. Masako Fujiwara for technical support in the studies using germ-free mice. This work was supported by a grant from The Food Science Institute Foundation. We also thank the Nestlé Research Centre, Switzerland for kindly providing B. longum NCC2705.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan

    Kazutoshi Yoshimura & Kikuji Itoh

  2. Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Department of Pathological Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, 080-8555, Japan

    Takane Matsui

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  1. Kazutoshi Yoshimura
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  2. Takane Matsui
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  3. Kikuji Itoh
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Correspondence to Kikuji Itoh.

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Yoshimura, K., Matsui, T. & Itoh, K. Prevention of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection in gnotobiotic mice associated with Bifidobacterium strains. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 97, 107–117 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-009-9391-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-009-9391-y

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