[Modification of intestinal colonization and translocation of Campylobacter jejuni by erythromycin and an extract of Lactobacillus acidophilus in axenic mice].

Erythromycin (15 mg) or lyophylized heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus (80 mg) were administered per os daily in germ-free mice infected at day O with 10(7)-10(8) Campylobacter jejuni per os. Bacterial colonization of intestine and bacterial translocation of C. jejuni toward mesenteric lymph nodes, blood and liver were then studied for 5 days. The results were compared with those from an infected untreated control group. Compared to the control group, the numbers of free and mucosa-associated bacteria decreased at day 5 in the erythromycin-treated group and the number of mucosa-associated bacteria was reduced from day 1 to day 5 in the Lactobacillus-treated group. Both treatments reduced the frequency of bacterial translocation toward mesenteric lymph nodes from day 1 to day 5. We concluded that both erythromycin and heat-killed L. acidophilus are effective in treating Campylobacter infection in mice, though probably through different mechanisms.