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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #103388
Title: EFFECTS OF LACTOBACILLUS REUTERI ON CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM INFECTION OF GNOTOBIOTIC TCR-ALPHA-DEFICIENT MICE

Author
item WATERS, W - IOWA STATE UNIV., AMES
item Harp, James
item WANNEMUEHLER, M - IOWA STATE UNIV., AMES
item CARBAJAL, N - BIOGAIA BIOLOGICS, NC
item CASAS, I - BIOGAIA BIOLOGICS, NC

Submitted to: Society of Protozoologists Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/27/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Experimental challenge of adult gnotobiotic TCR-alpha-deficient mice with the protozoan parasite, Cryptosporidium parvum, results in a persistent infection as well as inflammatory bowel disease-like lesions of the cecum. Cecal lesions are characterized by inflammatory cell infiltrates within the lamina propria and extensive epithelial cell hyperplasia. In this study, adult gnotobiotic TCR-alpha-deficient mice were colonized with Lactobacillus reuteri and infected with C. parvum. Oral administration of L. reuteri consistently resulted in fecal counts of 10**8 colony forming units of L. reuteri per gram of feces. Seven weeks after C. parvum challenge, fewer C. parvum were detected in ileal and cecal sections from L. reuteri colonized mice than were detected in sections from mice not receiving L. reuteri. Inflammatory and hyperplastic cecal lesions due to C. parvum colonization were also diminished by L. reuteri colonization. These findings suggest that L. reuteri treatment is beneficial in maintaining the intestinal mucosal integrity and decreasing the parasite burden upon C. parvum infection of immunodeficient hosts such as TCR-alpha-deficient mice.