Alteration in the endogenous intestinal flora of Swiss Webster mice by experimental Angiostrongylus costaricensis infection.
The association between worm infections and bacterial diseases has only recently been emphasized. This study examined the effect of experimental Angiostrongylus costaricensis infection on endogenous intestinal flora of Swiss Webster mice. Eight mice aging six weeks were selected for this experiment. Four were infected with A. costaricensis and the other four were used as controls. Twenty eight days after the worm infection, all mice in both groups were sacrificed and samples of the contents of the ileum and colon were obtained and cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. In the mice infected with A. costaricensis there was a significant increase in the number of bacteria of the endogenous intestinal flora, accompanied by a decrease in the number of Peptostreptococcus spp. This alteration in the intestinal flora of mice infected by the nematode may help to understand some bacterial infections described in humans.
Nobre
Vandack
V
Serviço de DIP, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Alfredo Balena 190, sala 3045, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Serufo
José Carlos
JC
Carvalho
Omar dos Santos
Odos S
Mendonça
Cristiane Lafetá Gomes Furtado
CL
Santos
Simone Gonçalves
SG
Mota
Ester Maria
EM
Gomes
Daniel
D
Braga
Emanuella
E
Antunes
Carlos Maurício Figueiredo
CM
Lenzi
Henrique Leonel
HL
Lambertucci
José Roberto
JR
D000801:Angiostrongylus / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003106:Colon / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007082:Ileum / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*