[Antagonistic interaction between Clostridium butyricum and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7]

Antagonistic interaction between Clostridium butyricum strain MIYAIRI 588 and enterohemorrhagic Esherichia coli (EHEC) strain O157:H7 006 was examined using streptomycin-treated SPF mice and germ free mice. All SPF mice pretreated with streptomycin were colonized with EHEC O157:H7. On the other hand, only 20% of the SPF mice pretreated with streptomycin and C. butyricum were colonized with EHEC O157:H7. In addition, germ free mice died within 4-7 days after infection with EHEC O157:H7. In contrast, all gnotobiotic mice mono-associated with C. butyricum survived after the challenge with EHEC O157:H7. Both the number of EHEC and the amounts of shiga-like cytotoxin (SLT, type 1 and type 2) in fecal contents of gnotobiotic mice treated with C. butyricum were less than those of mice infected with only EHEC O157:H7. In conclusion, the probiotic bacterium, C. butyricum strain MIYAIRI 588, has a preventive effect against EHEC O157:H7 infection.