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Published on: August 30, 2016
Inhibition of vancomycin-resistant enterococci by an in vitro continuous-flow competitive exclusion culture
C J Donskey1, M E Hume, T R Callaway
1Infectious Diseases Section, Louis Stokes Cleveland Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA. curtisd123@yahoo.com
Abstract:
An in vitro anaerobic continuous-flow competitive exclusion (CFCE) culture model was used to study the ability of human stool flora to inhibit the growth of vancomycin-resistant (VR) enterococci (VRE). The CFCE culture was established from a stool sample obtained from a healthy adult. When 10(3) or 10(6) cfu/mL of VR Enterococcus faecium were added to the CFCE culture, the VRE were eliminated within 6 or 9 days, respectively. When 10(7) cfu/mL of the CFCE culture was added to a continuous-flow culture that contained 10(7) cfu/mL of VRE, the density of VRE was reduced but not eliminated. These data support the hypothesis that the indigenous intestinal flora inhibit growth of VRE and suggest that CFCE cultures may be a useful means to study interactions between the indigenous flora and VRE.
