Micromorphometrical analysis of rodent related (SPF) and unrelated (human) gut microbial flora in germfree mice by digital image processing

Veenendaal, Dick; Boer, J. de; Waaij, D. van der; Wilkinson, Michael H. F.; Meijer, Boaz

doi:10.1017/s0950268800058933

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Analysis is determined by the distribution of bacterial species present in faeces without dilution of the sample. Using this technique, Veenendaal and colleagues (1996 ) showed that the micromorphological patterns of faecal anaerobes from HFA mice were different to those from ex‐germ‐free mice associated with mouse‐specific pathogen‐free flora. In particular, the authors studied germ‐free mice associated with either related rodent SPF microflora (SPF‐MF) or unrelated human microflora (HUM‐MF).…”

Section: Basis For the Hfa Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human flora‐associated rodents – does the data support the assumptions?

Silley

2008

Microbial Biotechnology

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SummaryThere is little direct literature detailing exhaustive bacteriological studies comparing human donor faecal flora, human flora‐associated (HFA) mouse models and conventional rodent faecal flora. While there is a premise that the implanted donor faecal flora from humans is established in the rodent model the evidence is incomplete and indeed for groups such as Bifidobacterium spp. it is lacking. The reviewed bacteriology studies are generally lacking in detail with the exception of one study from which the data have mostly been overlooked when cited by other workers. While there are studies that suggest that the HFA rodent model is more relevant to man than studies with conventional rodents, the hypothesis remains to be proven. This review concludes that the established microbial flora in the HFA rodent model is different to that of donor human faecal flora, and this clearly raises the question as to whether this matters, after all a model is a model and as such models can be useful even should they fail to be a true representation of, in this case, the gastrointestinal tract. What matters is that there is a proper understanding of the limitations of the model as we attempt to unravel the significance of the components of the gastrointestinal flora in health and disease; examples of why such an analysis is important are provided with regard to obesity and nutritional studies. The data do unsurprisingly suggest that diet is an extremely influential variable when interpreting HFA and conventional rodent data. The microbiology data from direct bacteriology and indirect enzyme studies show that the established microbial flora in the HFA rodent model is different to that of donor human faecal flora. The significance of this conclusion remains to be established.

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Section: Basis For the Hfa Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human flora‐associated rodents – does the data support the assumptions?

Silley

2008

Microbial Biotechnology

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“…HFA animals have often been used to investigate the effects of dietary components, including oligosaccharides, on the ecology (29,44,57) and fermentation (8, 28, 29, 41) of human intestinal flora. The effects of diet and intestinal flora on morphological and physiological properties of the host have also been investigated using HFA animals (49-51).…”

Section: Application Of Hfa Animals To Studies On the Intestinal Flormentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Flora-Associated (HFA) Animals for Studying the Role of Intestinal Flora in Human Carcinogenesis

Hirayama

2002

Bioscience Microflora

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Although the intestinal flora is thought to have a critical role in carcinogenesis, there is little information regarding the role of the human intestinal flora on the effects of dietary and environmental mutagens in vivo. By inoculating germfree animals with feces, the major composition of human flora can be transferred into the ex-germfree animals, i.e. human flora-associated (HFA) animals. The HFA animals provide a stable tool for studying the ecosystem and metabolism of human intestinal flora, though they have some limitations as a model. The capacity of human feces to activate or inactivate mutagens could be transferred into HFA mice and the presence of an intestinal flora was essential for the activity of feces against the mutagens. DNA adduct formation after the administration of dietary and environmental mutagens to mice with different bacterial conditions, including HFA mice, were then analyzed as an in vivo biomarker of cancer risk, and the results indicate that the intestinal flora have an active role in DNA adduct formation. It has also been demonstrated that the role of human intestinal flora is different from that of experimental animals in vivo as well as the metabolic activities against mutagens in vitro. Studies using HFA animals should provide much needed information of relevance to humans regarding the role of intestinal flora in carcinogenesis in vivo. The HFA animals could then contribute to prevention strategies for cancer involving improvement of the intestinal flora.

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Development of intestinal bacterial enzymes in infants ‐ relationship to mode of delivery and type of feeding

Grönlund

Salminen

Mykkänen

et al. 1999

APMIS

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To evaluate the development of intestinal flora in young infants, and especially to estimate the influence of mode of delivery and type of feeding on the establishment of intestinal microflora, faecal flora was studied indirectly by measuring prospectively the faecal bacterial enzyme activities (β‐glucosidase, β‐glucuronidase and urease) in 29 full‐term, healthy infants during the first 6 months of life. Mode of delivery had no influence on the faecal enzyme activities. In contrast, infants receiving formula feeds were more often urease positive at 1–2 months of age (70%vs 25%, p=0.043) and had higher median activity of β‐glucuronidase at 6 months of age (0.90 and 0.19 nmoles/mg protein × min, p=0.0043) than exclusively breast‐fed infants. Through indirect methods to measure the development of a faecal microflora our results indicate that the type of milk that infants receive during the first months of life may have an important role in the development of intestinal flora.

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Micromorphometrical analysis of rodent related (SPF) and unrelated (human) gut microbial flora in germfree mice by digital image processing

Cited by 3 publications

References 17 publications

Human flora‐associated rodents – does the data support the assumptions?

Human flora‐associated rodents – does the data support the assumptions?

Human Flora-Associated (HFA) Animals for Studying the Role of Intestinal Flora in Human Carcinogenesis

Development of intestinal bacterial enzymes in infants ‐ relationship to mode of delivery and type of feeding

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