Interplay between the Gastric Bacterial Microbiota and Candida albicans during Postantibiotic Recolonization and Gastritis

C. albicans CHN1 colonization during bacterial recolonization results in long-term gastric erosions at the murine limiting ridge. Histological sections of the murine stomach were stained with H&E to look for evidence of inflammation during cefoperazone-induced microbiota disruption. Untreated mice had no evidence of gastric erosions at any time point. CHN1-colonized mice at day 7 had a low incidence of gastric erosions and, by day 21, no erosions were seen. Cefoperazone-treated CHN1-colonized mice at day 7 had low-grade inflammation that progressed into erosions by day 21.

Hyphal growth at the murine limiting ridge following bacterial dysbiosis. Histological sections of the murine stomach were stained with PAS to detect fungi during antibiotic recolonization. Untreated mice had no fungi present at any time point. Cef/CHN1 mice at day 7 had some detectable hyphal growth, but by day 21 postantibiotic, hyphal growth and invasion were detected at the limiting ridge (magnification, ×100). At higher magnifications, substantial hyphal growth was detected at the area of inflammation at the limiting ridge.

Cefoperazone (Cef) treatment results in long-term alterations in the indigenous bacterial populations of the murine stomach in the presence or absence of C. albicans CHN1. The stomach was removed and analyzed using T-RFLP. Rank abundance plots were constructed from TRFs in each of the experimental groups at day 7 and day 21 postantibiotic. Error bars represent the standard errors of the mean, where the mean is pooled TRFs from individual mice within each experimental group.

C. albicans CHN1 interacts with the indigenous lactic acid bacteria of the murine stomach. The stomach was removed at day 7 (A) and day 21 (B) postantibiotic and differentially cultured to determine total lactic acid bacterium (LAB) colonization levels in conventional untreated, antibiotic-treated (Cef), and Cef/CHN1 mice (graphs). Lactic acid bacterial colonies that grew on MRS plus azide agar were further identified and expressed as a fraction of the total LAB population in that group, using colony PCR as described in the methods (pie charts). Error bars represent the standard errors of the mean (*, P < 0.05 compared to untreated mice).

Cefoperazone (Cef) treatment results in long-term alterations in the indigenous bacterial populations of the murine stomach in the presence or absence of C. albicans SC5314.The stomach was removed and analyzed with T-RFLP. Rank abundance plots were constructed from TRFs in each of the experimental groups at day 7 and day 21 postantibiotic. Error bars represent the standard errors of the mean, where the mean is pooled TRFs from individual mice within each experimental group.

C. albicans SC5314 interacts with the indigenous lactic acid bacteria of the murine stomach. The stomach was removed at day 7 (A) and day 21 (B) postantibiotic and differentially cultured to determine total lactic acid bacterium (LAB) colonization levels in conventional untreated, antibiotic-treated (Cef), and Cef/SC5314 mice (graphs). Lactic acid bacterial colonies that grew on MRS plus azide agar were further identified and expressed as a fraction of the total LAB population in that group, using colony PCR as described in the methods (pie charts). Error bars represent the standard errors of the mean (*, P < 0.05 compared to untreated mice).

The presence of C. albicans SC5314 during cefoperazone recovery results in gastric colonization and erosions of the limiting ridge. The stomach was removed at day 21 postantibiotic and differentially cultured to determine C. albicans SC5314 colonization in conventional untreated, antibiotic-treated (Cef), SC5314-colonized alone (SC5314), or Cef/SC5314 mice (A). Histological sections were stained with H&E to look for evidence of inflammation during cefoperazone-induced microbiota disruption (B). At day 7 postantibiotic, 17% of the SC5314 mice and 83% of the Cef/SC5314 mice had detectable C. albicans CHN1. At day 21 postantibiotic, 20% of the SC5314 mice and 67% of the Cef/SC5314 mice had detectable C. albicans SC5314 in the stomach. LOD, limit of detection (*, P < 0.05 versus untreated).