DISPLACEMENT OF ENTEROCOCCUS-FAECALIS FROM HYDROPHOBIC AAD HYDROPHILIC SUBSTRATA BY LACTOBACILLUS AND STREPTOCOCCUS SPP AS STUDIED IN A PARALLEL-PLATE FLOW CHAMBER

The displacement of Enterococcus faecalis 1131 from hydrophobic and hy drophilic substrata by isolates of Lactobacillus casei 36 and Streptoc occus hyointestinalis KM1 was studied in a parallel plate flow chamber . The experiments were conducted with either 10 mM potassium phosphate buffer or human urine as the suspending fluid, and adhesion and displ acement were measured by real-time in situ image analysis. The results showed that E. faecalis 1131 was displaced by lactobacilli (31%) and streptococci (74%) from fluorinated ethylene propylene in buffer and t hat displacement by lactobacilli was even more effective on a glass su bstratum in urine (54%). The passage of an air-liquid interface signif icantly impacted on adhesion, especially when the surface had been cha llenged with lactobacilli (up to 100% displacement) or streptococci (u p to 94% displacement). These results showed that the parallel plate f low system with real-time in situ image analysis was effective for stu dying bacterial adhesion and that uropathogenic enterococci can be dis placed by indigenous bacteria.