Bacterioprophylaxis using Clostridium butyricum for lethal caecitis by Clostridium difficile in gnotobiotic mice

Antagonistic interaction between Clostridium difficile and Clostridium butyricum using germ-free mice was demonstrated. Six out of seven gnotobiotic mice mono-associated with C. difficile were dead within 2 days of infection. Haemorrhagic enterocolitis was observed from the distal ileum to the caecum in dead mice. C. difficile was detected at 109 colony-forming units/g of caecal content. In contrast, eight out of 10 gnotobiotic mice, which were pre-infected with C. butyricum, survived without any diarrhoea after infection with C. difficile. The number of C. difficile and the quantity of cytotoxin produced in the caecum were smaller than those of mice infected with only C. difficile. These results indicate that bacterioprophylaxis using C. butyricum is significantly efficacious against infection by C. difficile in gnotobiotic mice.