Behavior of microflora in the rat stomach: adhesion of lactobacilli to the keratinized epithelial cells of the rat stomach in vitro.

Certain indigenous bacteria isolated from rats and chickens were found to adhere to keratinized cells obtained from host stomachs and maintained in vitro. Only lactobacilli and staphylococci isolated from rats attached to the keratinized epithelial cells of the rat stomach, suggesting that they are dominant bacteria in the microflora of the stomachs of those animals. Indigenous lactobacilli heated at 60 C for 1 h or treated with the detergents sodium dodecyl sulfate, Tween 80, and Triton X-100 lose the ability to adhere to the keratinized cells of the rat stomach. Indigenous lactobacilli treated with formalin, however, retain the capacity to adhere to the cells. These observations suggest that surface structures of the bacteria are involved in adhesion of indigenous lactobacilli to the keratinized cells of rat stomach.