Introduction

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains a significant surgical emergency in neonates. We have demonstrated the efficacy of Lactobacillus reuteri (Lr) in protecting against experimental NEC when administered as a biofilm by incubation with maltose loaded dextranomer microspheres. Lr possesses antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. We developed mutant strains of Lr to examine the importance of its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties in protecting the intestines from NEC.

Methods

Premature rat pups were exposed to hypoxia/hypothermia/hypertonic feeds to induce NEC. To examine the importance of antimicrobial reuterin and anti-inflammatory histamine, pups received either native or mutant forms of Lr, in either its planktonic or biofilm states, prior to induction of NEC. Intestinal histology was examined upon sacrifice.

Results

Compared to no treatment, administration of a single dose of Lr in its biofilm state significantly decreased the incidence of NEC (67% vs. 18%, p < 0.0001), whereas Lr in its planktonic state had no significant effect. Administration of reuterin-deficient or histamine-deficient forms of Lr, in either planktonic or biofilm states, resulted in significant loss of efficacy.

Conclusion

Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects of Lr contribute to its beneficial effects against NEC. This suggests that both infectious and inflammatory components contribute to the etiology of NEC.

中文翻译：

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生物膜状态下罗伊氏乳杆菌的抗菌和抗炎作用有助于其在实验性坏死性小肠结肠炎大鼠模型中发挥有益作用

介绍

坏死性小肠结肠炎（NEC）仍然是新生儿的重要外科急症。我们已经证明，通过与负载麦芽糖的右旋糖酐微球一起孵育，以生物膜形式施用罗伊氏乳杆菌 ( Lr )，可有效预防实验性 NEC。Lr具有抗菌和抗炎特性。我们开发了Lr突变株，以研究其抗菌和抗炎特性在保护肠道免受 NEC 侵害方面的重要性。

方法

将早产大鼠幼崽暴露于缺氧/低温/高渗饲料中以诱导 NEC。为了检查抗菌罗伊氏菌素和抗炎组胺的重要性，在诱导 NEC 之前，幼崽接受了天然或突变形式的Lr ，无论是浮游状态还是生物膜状态。处死后检查肠组织学。

结果

与不治疗相比，单剂量的处于生物膜状态的Lr显着降低了 NEC 的发生率（67% vs. 18%，p  < 0.0001），而处于浮游状态的Lr没有显着影响。在浮游或生物膜状态下施用缺乏罗伊氏蛋白或缺乏组胺形式的Lr会导致功效显着丧失。

结论

Lr的抗菌和抗炎作用有助于其对抗 NEC 的有益作用。这表明感染性和炎症性成分均是 NEC 的病因。