title: Treatment of in vitro enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection using phage and probiotics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assay the combination of phage and probiotics against EHEC in vitro on infected Hep-2 cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Phage and probiotics treatments on EHEC O157:H7-infected Hep-2 cells were assayed individually or combined. The effect of freeze-drying on phage and probiotic antimicrobial activity was also studied. While treatment with phage alone increased cell detachment caused by EHEC infection, the treatments with MM alone or in combination with phage proved to effectively diminish cell damage caused by EHEC infection. Combined treatment showed a decrease in apoptotic cell count of 57·3% and a reduction in EHEC adhesion to cell monolayer of 1·2 log CFU. The simultaneous use of phage and probiotics showed no antagonistic effect, and freeze-drying did not affect their antipathogenic activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of phage and probiotics has great potential for reducing the number of pathogens adhered to epithelial cells during EHEC O157:H7 infection and attenuating the cytotoxic effect derived from it. Further in vivo assays are needed for assessing the actual effectiveness of the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study presents a freeze-dried formulation of phage and probiotics capable of controlling EHEC infections and reducing epithelial cell damage in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research and Development in Food Cryotechnology (CIDCA - CONICET-UNLP) CCT La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dini
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina.|Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas 'Dr. J.J. Ronco' (CINDECA-CONICET-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bolla
authors.affiliation: Center for Research and Development in Food Cryotechnology (CIDCA - CONICET-UNLP) CCT La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.|Cátedra de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: de Urraza
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
keywords: combined therapy; enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli; kefir; phage; probiotics