[Microflora study of the intestinal cavity and mucosa normally and after gamma irradiation]

Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are numerically prevalent in the microflora of the mucous membrane in mice and guinea-pigs. Some opportunistic microorganisms (Proteus, enterococci, aerobic bacilli, clostridia in mice; streptococci, yeast, enterococci in guinea-pigs) can mainly be found in the cavity of the large intestine, only small amounts of these microorganisms (10(2)), if any, are present on the mucous membrane. In the course of postradiation dysbacteriosis in mice and guinea pigs all opportunistic microorganisms which inhabit the cavity of the large intestine, proliferating actively, disseminate into the small intestine and, probably, invade the mucous membrane. Such microorganism as Escherichia, Proteus, Clostridium, normally absent in intact animals, appear in the intestine of guinea of guinea pigs subjected to irradiation. At the same time lactobacilli and bifidobacteria sharply decrease in number.