This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lee, A. Articles by Gemmell, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lee, A. Articles by Gemmell, E.

Next Article 

Infect Immun. 1972 January; 5(1): 1-7
Copyright © 1972 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Changes in the Mouse Intestinal Microflora During Weaning: Role of Volatile Fatty Acids

Department of Medical Microbiology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

ABSTRACT

The influence of volatile fatty acids on the ecology of the bacterial flora of the mouse intestinal tract has been studied in three situations where large fluctuations in the composition of the microflora have been observed. Young mice were shown to ingest solid food particles when 11 days old; this correlated with the appearance of strictly anaerobic fusiform bacilli in the intestinal lumen and a 10,000-fold decrease in numbers of coliform bacilli. Over the same period, volatile fatty acids were shown by gas-liquid chromatography to appear in the intestinal content. It is suggested that the fusiform bacilli are responsible for the presence of the volatile acids (especially butyric acid) which exert an inhibitory effect on the coliform bacteria, resulting in the decline in numbers. When germ-free mice are placed in a specific pathogen-free mouse colony, changes in the intestinal flora occurred which were similar to those observed in the young mice approaching weaning. Once again, the decline in the coliform population correlated with the appearance of significant levels of butyric acid in the large intestine. In a further series of experiments, mice were fed penicillin and levels of the intestinal fatty acids were measured. The antibiotic eliminated the anaerobic fusiforms from the intestine, resulting in the disappearance of significant levels of butyric acid and a million-fold increase in the numbers of coliform bacilli.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• van der Wielen, P. W. J. J., Biesterveld, S., Notermans, S., Hofstra, H., Urlings, B. A. P., van Knapen, F. (2000). Role of Volatile Fatty Acids in Development of the Cecal Microflora in Broiler Chickens during Growth. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 2536-2540 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Deplancke, B., Hristova, K. R., Oakley, H. A., McCracken, V. J., Aminov, R., Mackie, R. I., Gaskins, H. R. (2000). Molecular Ecological Analysis of the Succession and Diversity of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in the Mouse Gastrointestinal Tract. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 2166-2174 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sanderson, I. R (1999). The physicochemical environment of the neonatal intestine. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 69 : 1028S-1034S [Abstract] [Full Text]