IN-VITRO COLONIZATION ABILITY OF HUMAN COLON MUCOSA BY EXOGENOUS LACTOBACILLUS STRAINS

We have tested five Lactobacillus strains for their in vitro colonizat ion ability in a human colon epithelium culture model. Positive coloni zation occurred in different degrees in the presence of four Lactobaci llus strains. We have found that L. casei GG and L. acidophilus NCFB 1 748 induce an intermediate colonization. These two strains, largely in vestigated by others, have been reported to be beneficial to humans. T he use of human intestinal tissue in our study partially reconstitutes the complex architectural specificity of human epithelium with the mu cus layer and more closely simulates the in vivo situation.