[Evaluation of an experimental animal model allowing the study of the cecal microflora in the hamster, antagonistic to clostridium difficile].

The purpose of this study was the development and evaluation of an experimental model allowing the investigation of hamster anti-Clostridium difficile coecal microflora. The existence of this "barrier" was verified in conventional hamsters. Such hamster coecal flora was then orally transferred to C3H germ-free mice. In such animals, the "barrier effect" was maintained. After treatment with erythromycin, the colonization resistance was always maintained; despite two subsequent processes, dilutions of coecal contents (10(-2] and subsequent heating of this fluid (70 degrees C, 10 min), the inhibitory activity against C. difficile was partially maintained (10(4) UFC/g faeces). The isolation of anaerobic strains implicated in colonization resistance will next be carried out in an anaerobic chamber using this microflora.