Therapeutic use of an antibiotic-resistant Bifidobacterium preparation in men exposed to high-dose gamma-irradiation.
Five men received high-dose, uneven, whole-body gamma-irradiation by accidental exposure to an unshielded 137Cs source. Analysis of the faeces 9-12 days post-irradiation showed low numbers of anaerobes and high counts of enterobacteria and staphylococci in four of the patients and total viable counts of < 10(3)/g in one. All five were treated with systemic ampicillin and gentamicin and oral nystatin commencing 4-7 days after irradiation. Three of the patients were also treated orally with a suspension of an antibiotic-resistant strain of Bifidobacterium longum for 30 days commencing 10-12 days post-irradiation. At 3 weeks post-irradiation, B. longum had appeared in their faecal flora and total anaerobe counts exceeded those of facultative and obligate aerobes. At 4 weeks and 5-7 weeks post-irradiation, this normalisation of the faecal flora continued. In contrast, in the two patients who received a placebo the faecal flora was dominated by enterobacteria (Klebsiella, Enterobacter and Serratia spp.) showing multiple antibiotic resistance 3 weeks post-irradiation. These potential opportunist pathogens were not isolated from the B. longum-treated group. Only one patient in the control group survived beyond 3 weeks; he continued to show high faecal counts of enterobacteria and staphylococci and low counts of obligate anaerobes. 'Probiotic' treatment with this antibiotic-resistant strain of B. longum may be of benefit in the treatment of radiation sickness, aiding normalisation of the faecal flora and inhibiting colonisation and overgrowth with opportunist pathogens.
Department of Microbiology, Russia State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.
V M
VM
Korschunov
V V
VV
Smeianov
V V
VV
Smeyanov
B A
BA
Efimov
N P
NP
Tarabrina
A A
AA
Ivanov
A E
AE
Baranov
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents