Skip to main content
PMC home page
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy logoLink to Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
. 1984 Oct;26(4):552–556. doi: 10.1128/aac.26.4.552

Prevention of clindamycin-induced mortality in hamsters by Saccharomyces boulardii.

R D Toothaker, G W Elmer
PMCID: PMC179962  PMID: 6517545

Abstract

Saccharomyces boulardii, a yeast used in a number of countries for general and antibiotic-associated gastrointestinal illnesses, was examined for possible application in the prevention of clindamycin-induced mortality in the hamster colitis model. Hamsters were given free access to an aqueous 5% suspension of lyophilized yeast for 3 days before and 10 days after administration of a single oral clindamycin dose of from 0.2 to 0.8 mg/kg. Mortality was recorded in groups of 7 to 20 animals every 24 h for 10 to 30 days. Mean cecal concentrations of S. boulardii were greater than 10(6) CFU/ml throughout the yeast administration period. Yeast treatment significantly decreased cumulative percent mortality by an average of 29%. Death onset was not affected by yeast treatment. Cecitis was present in 86% of moribund animals (N = 95) and was absent in all surviving animals examined (N = 27). Toxigenic Clostridium difficile was isolated from 13 of 14 moribund hamsters examined. No adverse effects of the yeast treatment were observed in animals receiving S. boulardii without clindamycin. The results suggest that S. boulardii warrants further evaluation for the prevention of antibiotic-associated colitis.

Full text

PDF
553

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BIZOT M. Phénomènes d'antagonisme entre divers micro-organismes: levures et bactéries. Presse Med. 1955 Sep 24;63(62):1251–1252. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bartlett J. G. Antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis. Rev Infect Dis. 1979 May-Jun;1(3):530–539. doi: 10.1093/clinids/1.3.530. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bartlett J. G., Chang T. W., Gurwith M., Gorbach S. L., Onderdonk A. B. Antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis due to toxin-producing clostridia. N Engl J Med. 1978 Mar 9;298(10):531–534. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197803092981003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bartlett J. G., Chang T. W., Moon N., Onderdonk A. B. Antibiotic-induced lethal enterocolitis in hamsters: studies with eleven agents and evidence to support the pathogenic role of toxin-producing Clostridia. Am J Vet Res. 1978 Sep;39(9):1525–1530. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bartlett J. G., Onderdonk A. B., Cisneros R. L., Kasper D. L. Clindamycin-associated colitis due to a toxin-producing species of Clostridium in hamsters. J Infect Dis. 1977 Nov;136(5):701–705. doi: 10.1093/infdis/136.5.701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Browne R. A., Fekety R., Jr, Silva J., Jr, Boyd D. I., Work C. O., Abrams G. D. The protective effect of vancomycin on clindamycin-induced colitis in hamsters. Johns Hopkins Med J. 1977 Oct;141(4):183–192. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chang T. W., Bartlett J. G., Gorbach S. L., Onderdonk A. B. Clindamycin-induced enterocolitis in hamsters as a model of pseudomembranous colitis in patients. Infect Immun. 1978 May;20(2):526–529. doi: 10.1128/iai.20.2.526-529.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. DeJesus R., Peternel W. W. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea treated with oral tetracycline. Gastroenterology. 1978 May;74(5 Pt 1):818–820. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ducluzeau R., Bensaada M. Effet comparé de l'administration unique ou en continu de Saccharomyces boulardii sur l'établissement de diverses souches de Candida dans le tractus digestif de souris gnotoxéniques. Ann Microbiol (Paris) 1982 Nov-Dec;133(3):491–501. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ebright J. R., Fekety R., Silva J., Wilson K. H. Evaluation of eight cephalosporins in hamster colitis model. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1981 Jun;19(6):980–986. doi: 10.1128/aac.19.6.980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. George W. L., Rolfe R. D., Finegold S. M. Treatment and prevention of antimicrobial agent-induced colitis and diarrhae. Gastroenterology. 1980 Aug;79(2):366–372. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. George W. L., Rolfe R. D., Harding G. K., Klein R., Putnam C. W., Finegold S. M. Clostridium difficile and cytotoxin in feces of patients with antimicrobial agent-associated pseudomembranous colitis. Infection. 1982;10(4):205–208. doi: 10.1007/BF01666910. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. George W. L., Volpicelli N. A., Stiner D. B., Richman D. D., Liechty E. J., Mok H. Y., Rolfe R. D., Finegold S. M. Relapse of pseudomembranous colitis after vancomycin therapy. N Engl J Med. 1979 Aug 23;301(8):414–415. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197908233010806. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gotz V., Romankiewicz J. A., Moss J., Murray H. W. Prophylaxis against ampicillin-associated diarrhea with a lactobacillus preparation. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1979 Jun;36(6):754–757. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Keighley M. R. Antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis: pathogenesis and management. Drugs. 1980 Jul;20(1):49–56. doi: 10.2165/00003495-198020010-00003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Keighley M. R., Burdon D. W., Arabi Y., Williams J. A., Thompson H., Youngs D., Johnson M., Bentley S., George R. H., Mogg G. A. Randomised controlled trial of vancomycin for pseudomembranous colitis and postoperative diarrhoea. Br Med J. 1978 Dec 16;2(6153):1667–1669. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6153.1667. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kreutzer E. W., Milligan F. D. Treatment of antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis with cholestyramine resin. Johns Hopkins Med J. 1978 Sep;143(3):67–72. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Larson H. E., Price A. B., Honour P., Borriello S. P. Clostridium difficile and the aetiology of pseudomembranous colitis. Lancet. 1978 May 20;1(8073):1063–1066. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)90912-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Larson H. E., Price A. B. Pseudomembranous colitis: Presence of clostridial toxin. Lancet. 1977 Dec 24;2(8052-8053):1312–1314. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)90363-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Mogg G. A., George R. H., Youngs D., Johnson M., Thompson H., Burdon D. W., Keighley M. R. Randomized controlled trial of colestipol in antibiotic-associated colitis. Br J Surg. 1982 Mar;69(3):137–139. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800690306. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Oldenburger D., Miller J. A. Treatment of pseudomembranous colitis with oral metronidazole after relapse following vancomycin. Am J Gastroenterol. 1980 Oct;74(4):359–360. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Schwan A., Sjölin S., Trottestam U., Aronsson B. Relapsing clostridium difficile enterocolitis cured by rectal infusion of homologous faeces. Lancet. 1983 Oct 8;2(8354):845–845. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)90753-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Tedesco F. J. Bacitracin therapy in antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis. Dig Dis Sci. 1980 Oct;25(10):783–784. doi: 10.1007/BF01345299. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tempé J. D., Steidel A. L., Blehaut H., Hasselmann M., Lutun P., Maurier F. Prévention par saccharomyces boulardii des diarrhées de l'alimentation entérale à débit continu. Sem Hop. 1983 May 5;59(18):1409–1412. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Toshniwal R., Fekety R., Silva J., Jr Etiology of tetracycline-associated pseudomembranous colitis in hamsters. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979 Aug;16(2):167–170. doi: 10.1128/aac.16.2.167. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Toshniwal R., Silva J., Jr, Fekety R., Kim K. H. Studies on the epidemiology of colitis due to Clostridium difficile in hamsters. J Infect Dis. 1981 Jan;143(1):51–54. doi: 10.1093/infdis/143.1.51. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES