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Published on: October 23, 2011
In vitro characteristics of intravaginal Lactobacilli; why is L. iners detected in abnormal vaginal microbial flora?
Kazuaki Yoshimura1, Midori Ogawa2, Mitsumasa Saito2
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wakamatsu Hospital of University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-17-1, Hamamachi, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu, 808-0024, Japan. yoppy@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp.
Purpose:
Our purpose is to investigate the reasons why Lactobacillus iners is detected in abnormal vaginal microbial flora.
Methods:
In this study, in vitro characteristics of four type strains (L. crispatus, L. iners, L. gasseri, and L. jensenii) were examined by measuring the growth speed by OD660, and acid resistance, with gram stain and Live/Dead stain.
Results:
The growth speed was L. gasseri > L. jensenii > L. crispatus > L. iners. Bacterial counts of all Lactobacilli in MRS medium began to decrease at the middle of the log-phase of the growth curve. In addition, L. iners grew to 106 CFU/mL and the others grew to 108 CFU/mL. L. iners was mostly Gram-negative with very short rod, while the others were mostly Gram-positive rods. L. iners was completely killed in the pH 3 medium, however, the others grew (in pH 3 medium) in 1/100 order compared with those in the pH 6 medium.
Conclusion:
L. iners was not a typical gram-positive long rod Lactobacilli and presented weak acid-resistance. The reasons why L. iners is detected in abnormal vaginal microbial flora were presumed to be due to the unique morphologic and microbiologic characteristics.
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