Open AccessInfluence of clindamycin, administered together with or without lactobacilli, upon intestinal ecology in rats
Author(s) -
CarlstedtDuke B.,
Alm L.,
Høverstad T.,
Midtvedt A.C.,
Norin K.E.,
Steinbakk M.,
Midtvedt T.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1987.tb02374.x
Subject(s) - clindamycin , lactobacillus , antibiotics , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , streptococcus , gut flora , coprostanol , feces , physiology , food science , bacteria , endocrinology , cholesterol , biochemistry , genetics , sterol , fermentation
In order to evaluate whether lactobacilli could reduce antibiotic‐related ecological disturbances of the normal intestinal microflora, rats were treated daily with either lactobacilli ( Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus + Streptococcus thermophilus , 10 8 cfu per animal for 6 days), clindamycin (4 mg/kg for 5 days) or a combination of both. The effects upon the following microflora‐associated characteristics were evaluated: mucin degradation, conversion of cholesterol to coprostanol, inactivation of tryptic activity, presence of short‐chain fatty acids and absence of beta‐aspartylglycine. Clindamycin markedly influenced all characteristics except beta‐aspartylglycine, resulting in a pattern very much alike what is found in germ‐free animals. No significant differences were seen between the group receiving clindamycin + lactobacilli compared to the group receiving clindamycin only, even though the lactobacilli count increased in all animals receiving lactobacilli. We conclude that clindamycin markedly influences and disturbs normal intestinal microflora‐related functions and that administration of lactobacilli of the type used in this study has no positive effect on diminishing these disturbances.