title: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens as prophylactic treatment for Clostridium difficile-associated disease in a mouse model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Probiotics might offer an attractive alternative for standard antibiotic therapy to treat Clostridium difficile infections (CDI). We specifically selected a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain for its high in vitro antibacterial activity against C. difficile and tested its efficacy to prevent CDI in a mouse model.
  
  
  METHODS
  B. amyloliquefaciens supernatant was tested against a large collection of C. difficile strains using an agar well diffusion test. B. amyloliquefaciens was orally administered to C57BL/6 mice in which CDI was induced using C. difficile VPI 10463, and its effect was compared with control mice receiving no treatment and mice receiving Saccharomyces boulardii. Mice were followed up daily for signs of disease including weight loss. At necropsy, the colon was collected and subjected to histopathological analysis. C. difficile toxin A/B levels and colon weight/length and colon/body weight ratios were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  B. amyloliquefaciens supernatant was able to inhibit the growth of all C. difficile strains. Results of the in vivo trial indicated a significant weight loss for untreated and S. boulardii-treated mice as compared to B. amyloliquefaciens-treated mice. C. difficile toxin A and B levels were significantly higher for untreated and S. boulardii-treated mice than B. amyloliquefaciens-treated mice. A significantly lower degree of colon damage was detected for B. amyloliquefaciens-treated mice as compared to untreated and S. boulardii-treated mice, based on histopathological analysis, colon weight/length and colon/body weight ratios.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of B. amyloliquefaciens was successful in preventing CDI in a mouse model.
authors: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Geeraerts
authors: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Ducatelle
authors: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Haesebrouck
authors: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Van Immerseel
mesh_terms: D060433:Administration, Ophthalmic; D000818:Animals; D000898:Antibiosis; D001407:Bacillus / Q000502:physiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000254:growth & development; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile
keywords: Bacillus; Clostridium difficile; probiotics; prophylactic treatment