title: In vitro antagonistic effect of Lactobacillus on organisms associated with bacterial vaginosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess antagonistic properties of Lactobacillus strains isolated from the vaginas of healthy women as compared to the most common bacterial agents related to vaginosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antagonistic activity of different Lactobacillus strains isolated from the vaginas of healthy women not treated for infections with an antibiotic for the previous three months was screened using an agar slab method. The activity was tested against test organisms associated with bacterial vaginosis and/or urinary tract infections: Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli, Gardnerella vaginalis, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius and Prevotella bivia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many of the 146 Lactobacillus strains tested exerted apparent antagonistic activities against gram-positive aerobic cocci and gram-negative rods, such as S aureus and E coli, and a marked number of Lactobacillus strains inhibited facultative bacteria, such as Gardnerella vaginalis and the anaerobes P anaerobius and P bivia. Only a few lactobacilli were able to inhibit growth of E faecalis and S agalactiae. Indicator bacteria growth inhibition probably relies upon several different complementary mechanisms. The specific indicator bacteria species determines which mechanism predominates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lactobacillus strains taken from normal vaginal flora demonstrated antagonistic activity against a variety of bacteria related to vaginal and urinary tract infections. The specific occurrence rates of active Lactobacillus strains are different, and this difference is dependent on the indicator bacteria species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Medical College of Jagiellonian University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Health Care Trust of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strus
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malinowska
authors.forename: Piotr B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Heczko
mesh_terms: D000898:Antibiosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D003470:Culture Media; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media