FIG 1.

Study design. (A) Illustration of one unit of the TWIN-SHIME fermentation system, including reactors in series from the stomach/small intestine (SI) to the transverse colon. The colonic reactors of each unit were inoculated with two different fecal donors, both in duplicates. The three phases and duration of fermentation are shown in the timeline. The treatment consisted of the addition of 86.8 mg PAC-rich cranberry extract/day in the SHIME stomach for 14 days, consecutively catabolized in the proximal and transverse colon. (B) The transverse colon was chosen as site of interest for UPEC reservoir and final PAC catabolism. Therefore, dialysis cassettes (10 kDa) containing 7log₁₀ CFU/mL UTI89 were added for 2h in the transverse colon to assess the effect of untreated (control)/treated (PAC) metabolome on UPEC behavior. After exposure, dialysates containing UPEC were stored until processing. (C) Dialysates containing UPEC (adjusted concentration of 6log₁₀ CFU/mL UTI89) were then combined to a 3D tissue-engineered urothelium (UC) to recreate a 6-h infection period.