INHIBITION OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS TRANSLOCATION FROM THE GASTROINTESTINAL-TRACT OF MICE BY ORAL-ADMINISTRATION OF SACCHAROMYCES-BOULARDII

Microbial translocation is defined as the passage of viable microbes f rom the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to extraintestinal sites, such as the mesenteric lymph node (MLN), spleen, liver, kidneys, and blood. Th e ability of orally administered viable Saccharomyces boulardii to inh ibit Candida albicans translocation from the GI tract was tested in an tibiotic-decontaminated, specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice, which were orally challenged with C albicans to promote intestinal overgrowth an d subsequent translocation of this organism. Oral S. boulardii treatme nt reduced the incidence of MLN cultures positive for C albicans but d id not decrease the numbers of C albicans per gram of MLN in these imm unocompetent mice. Prednisolone immunosuppression increased translocat ion of C. albicans to the MLN and allowed translocating C. albicans to spread systemically to the spleen, liver, and kidneys. In these immun osuppressed mice, orally administered S. boulardii decreased both the incidence of C. albicans translocation to the MLN, liver, and kidneys and the number of translocating C. albicans per gram of MLN, spleen, a nd kidneys.