title: Xylitol-supplemented nutrition enhances bacterial killing and prolongs survival of rats in experimental pneumococcal sepsis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Xylitol has antiadhesive effects on Streptococcus pneumoniae and inhibits its growth, and has also been found to be effective in preventing acute otitis media and has been used in intensive care as a valuable source of energy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated the oxidative burst of neutrophils in rats fed with and without xylitol. The mean increase in the percentage of activated neutrophils from the baseline was higher in the xylitol-exposed group than in the control group (58.1% vs 51.4%, P = 0.03 for the difference) and the mean induced increase in the median strength of the burst per neutrophil was similarly higher in the xylitol group (159.6 vs 140.3, P = 0.04). In two pneumococcal sepsis experiments rats were fed either a basal powder diet (control group) or the same diet supplemented with 10% or 20% xylitol and infected with an intraperitoneal inoculation of S. pneumoniae after two weeks. The mean survival time was 48 hours in the xylitol groups and 34 hours in the control groups (P < 0.001 in log rank test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Xylitol has beneficial effects on both the oxidative killing of bacteria in neutrophilic leucocytes and on the survival of rats with experimental pneumococcal sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. marjo.renko@oulu.fi
authors.forename: Marjo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Renko
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valkonen
authors.forename: Terhi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tapiainen
authors.forename: Tero
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kontiokari
authors.forename: Pauli
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mattila
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knuuttila
authors.forename: Martti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Svanberg
authors.forename: Maija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karttunen
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uhari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000187:drug effects; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014993:Xylitol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents; D014993:Xylitol