Utilization of the intestinal tract as a delivery system for urogenital probiotics

J Clin Gastroenterol. 2004 Jul;38(6 Suppl):S107-10. doi: 10.1097/01.mcg.0000128938.32835.98.

Abstract

Orally consumed viable bacteria with proposed beneficial health effects, the so-called probiotics, are increasingly used to treat disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. It has been recently suggested that specifically selected lactobacilli could have a therapeutic role in female urogenital tract infections. It has been also suggested that some of these bacteria could be not intravaginally instilled, but also orally delivered. The authors investigate the ability of lactobacilli isolated from the vagina to survive gastrointestinal tract transit, and establish a link between the rate of intestinal survival and vaginal colonization.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Feces / microbiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lactobacillus*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Probiotics / administration & dosage*
  • Vagina / microbiology*
  • Vancomycin / pharmacology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Vancomycin