Department of Microbiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Microb Ecol. 1988 Nov;16(3):241-51. doi: 10.1007/BF02011698.
The ability of bacteria to attach to surfaces has been recognized as an important phenomenon, particularly for pathogenic organisms that utilize this capacity to initiate disease. The present investigation was undertaken to determine whether indigenous urogenital bacteria, lactobacilli, colonized prosthetic devices in vivo and in vitro and attached to specific polymer surfaces in vitro. Polyethylene intrauterine devices (IUDs) in place for 2 years were removed from six women who were asymptomatic and free of signs of cervical or uterine infection. Lactobacilli were found attached to the IUDs, as determined by culture, and fluorescent antibody and acridine orange staining techniques. This demonstrated that bacterial biofilms consisting of indigenous bacteria can occur on prosthetic devices without inducing a symptomatic infection. In vitro studies were then undertaken with well-documented lactobacilli strainsL. acidophilus T-13,L. casei GR-1, GR-2, and RC-17, andL. fermentum A-60. These organisms were found to adhere to IUDs and urinary catheters within 24 hours. A quantitative assay was designed to examine the mechanisms of adhesion ofL. acidophilus T-13 to specific polymer surfaces that are commonly used as prosthetic devices. The lactobacilli adhered optimally to fluorinated ethylene propylene when 10(8) bacteria were incubated for 9 hours at 37°C in phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.1. Additional experiments verified that the lactobacilli adhered to polyethyleneterephthalate, polystyrene, and sulfonated polystyrene and to silkolatex catheter material. There was a linear relationship found between polymer hydrophobicity and bacterial adherence. These results demonstrate that lactobacilli bind to various surfaces in vivo and in vitro, and that the nature of the substratum can affect the colonization.
细菌附着在表面的能力已被认为是一种重要的现象，特别是对于利用这种能力引发疾病的致病生物体。本研究旨在确定是否土著泌尿生殖细菌、乳杆菌是否在体内和体外定植于假体，并在体外附着于特定的聚合物表面。从六名无症状且无宫颈或子宫感染迹象的妇女体内取出已放置 2 年的聚乙烯宫内节育器 (IUD)。通过培养、荧光抗体和吖啶橙染色技术确定乳杆菌附着在 IUD 上。这表明由土著细菌组成的细菌生物膜可以在没有引起症状感染的情况下出现在假体上。然后在体外进行了有充分文献记载的乳杆菌菌株 L. acidophilus T-13、L. casei GR-1、GR-2 和 RC-17 以及 L. fermentum A-60 的研究。这些生物体在 24 小时内被发现附着在 IUD 和尿导管上。设计了一种定量测定法来研究 L. acidophilus T-13 与常用作假体的特定聚合物表面粘附的机制。当在磷酸盐缓冲盐水、pH7.1 中 37°C 孵育 10(8)个细菌 9 小时时，乳杆菌最适附着于氟化乙烯丙烯。进一步的实验证实，乳杆菌附着于聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯、聚苯乙烯和磺化聚苯乙烯以及 silkolatex 导管材料。发现聚合物疏水性与细菌粘附之间存在线性关系。这些结果表明，乳杆菌在体内和体外与各种表面结合，并且基质的性质可以影响定植。
