[Transfer of the cecal flora of the hamster to the germfree C3H mouse: use of this model to study the flora of the anti-Clostridium difficile barrier].

The purpose of this work was the research and development of an experimental model to study anti-Clostridium difficile caecal microflora in the hamster. First the existence of this "barrier" was verified in conventional hamsters. Then, the caecal flora from these animals was orally transferred to C3H germfree mice. The barrier effect was maintained in the axenic mice. The comparative bacteriological analysis of hamster and mouse feces did not reveal important variations in the dominant anaerobic flora (P less than 0.01). After treatment with erythromycin, the barrier effect was maintained and while the disappearance of Escherichia coli was observed, the dominant anaerobic flora persisted. After dilution (10(-2] and subsequent heating (70 degrees C, 10 min) of caecal contents, the inhibitory activity against C. difficile was maintained although the number of aerobic and aerotolerant bacteria was reduced. The isolation from caecal microflora of anaerobic strains implicated in the resistance to colonization is presently underway in Freter anaerobic chambers.