Structural and ultrastructural studies of the urinary tract of mice inoculated with Lactobacillus fermentum.

Abstract

To assess, using structural and ultrastructural studies of the urinary tract, the effects of the intraurethral inoculation of lactobacilli (probiotic treatment) as lactobacilli are the predominant micro-organisms of the urogenital tract of humans, monkeys and mice. Previous work showed the protective effect of Lactobacillus fermentum CRL 1058 intraurethrally inoculated against the challenge of uropathogenic Escherichia coli. There was also an effect of oestrogens and antibiotics in the kinetics of colonization of both micro-organisms in mice. In the present study L. fermentum was inoculated with agarose beads (107 colony-forming units) and the number of micro-organisms determined by plating in selective media, giving a high degree of colonization in all the organs studied. The urinary tract organs were processed by histological and electron microscopy techniques standardized in our laboratory. The intraurethral inoculation of lactobacilli produced no adverse effects or significant changes in any of the organs assessed (kidney, ureter, bladder or urethra), when evaluated by histological and ultrastructural techniques. The use of lactobacilli as a probiotic treatment is probably safe.