Modification par l'érythromycine et un extrait de Lactobacillus acidophilus de la colonisation de l'intestin et de la translocation de Campylobacter jejuni chez la souris axénique

Summary Erythromycin (15 mg) or lyophylized heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus (80 mg) were administered per os daily in germ-free mice infected at day O with 10 7 –10 8 Campylobacter jejuni per os . Bacterial colonization of intestine and bacterial translocation of C. jejuni toward mesenteric lymph nodes, blood and liver were then studied for 5 days. The results were compared with those from an infected untreated control group. Compared to the control group, the numbers of free and mucosa-associated bacteria decreased at day 5 in th erythromycin-treated group and the number of mucosa-associated bacteria was reduced from day 1 to day 5 in the Lactobacillus -treated group. Both treatments reduced the frequency of bacterial translocation toward mesenteric lymph nodes from day 1 to day 5. We concluded that both erythromycin and heat-killed L. acidophilus are effective in treating Campylobacter infection in mice, though probably through different mechanisms.