scholarly journals Using an in-vitro biofilm model to assess the virulence potential of Bacterial Vaginosis or non-Bacterial Vaginosis Gardnerella vaginalis isolates

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana Castro ◽  
Patrícia Alves ◽  
Cármen Sousa ◽  
Tatiana Cereija ◽  
Ângela França ◽  
...  
Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (2) ◽  
pp. 392-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Patterson ◽  
Annica Stull-Lane ◽  
Philippe H. Girerd ◽  
Kimberly K. Jefferson

Worldwide, bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal disorder in women of childbearing age. BV is characterized by a dramatic shift in the vaginal microflora, involving a relative decrease in lactobacilli, and a proliferation of anaerobes. In most cases of BV, the predominant bacterial species found is Gardnerella vaginalis. However, pure cultures of G. vaginalis do not always result in BV, and asymptomatic women are sometimes colonized with low numbers of G. vaginalis. Thus, there is controversy about whether G. vaginalis is an opportunistic pathogen and the causative agent of many cases of BV, or whether BV is a polymicrobial condition caused by the collective effects of an altered microbial flora. Recent studies of the biofilm-forming potential and cytotoxic activity of G. vaginalis have renewed interest in the virulence potential of this organism. In an effort to tease apart the aetiology of this disorder, we utilized in vitro assays to compare three virulence properties of G. vaginalis relative to other BV-associated anaerobes. We designed a viable assay to analyse bacterial adherence to vaginal epithelial cells, we compared biofilm-producing capacities, and we assessed cytotoxic activity. Of the BV-associated anaerobes tested, only G. vaginalis demonstrated all three virulence properties combined. This study suggests that G. vaginalis is more virulent than other BV-associated anaerobes, and that many of the bacterial species frequently isolated from BV may be relatively avirulent opportunists that colonize the vagina after G. vaginalis has initiated an infection.


Author(s):  
Joana Castro ◽  
Ângela Lima ◽  
Lúcia G. V. Sousa ◽  
Aliona S. Rosca ◽  
Christina A. Muzny ◽  
...  

Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) involves the presence of a multi-species biofilm adhered to vaginal epithelial cells, but its in-depth study has been limited due to the complexity of the bacterial community, which makes the design of in vitro models challenging. Perhaps the most common experimental technique to quantify biofilms is the crystal violet (CV) staining method. Despite its widespread utilization, the CV method is not without flaws. While biofilm CV quantification within the same strain in different conditions is normally accepted, assessing multi-species biofilms formation by CV staining might provide significant bias. For BV research, determining possible synergism or antagonism between species is a fundamental step for assessing the roles of individual species in BV development. Herein, we provide our perspective on how CV fails to properly quantify an in vitro triple-species biofilm composed of Gardnerella vaginalis, Fannyhessea (Atopobium) vaginae, and Prevotella bivia, three common BV-associated bacteria thought to play key roles in incident BV pathogenesis. We compared the CV method with total colony forming units (CFU) and fluorescence microscopy cell count methods. Not surprisingly, when comparing single-species biofilms, the relationship between biofilm biomass, total number of cells, and total cultivable cells was very different between each tested method, and also varied with the time of incubation. Thus, despite its wide utilization for single-species biofilm quantification, the CV method should not be considered for accurate quantification of multi-species biofilms in BV pathogenesis research.


2010 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 891-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. Teixeira ◽  
K. L. K. Soares-Brandão ◽  
K. M. G. R. Branco ◽  
J. L. M. Sampaio ◽  
R. M. D. Nardi ◽  
...  

Antagonistic and synergistic substances are important for interactions between micro-organisms associated with human body surfaces, either in healthy or in diseased conditions. In the present study, such compounds produced by Gardnerella vaginalis strains isolated from women with bacterial vaginosis (BV) were detected in vitro and the antagonistic ones were partially characterized. Among 11 G. vaginalis strains tested, all showed antagonistic activity against at least one of the 22 indicator bacteria assayed. Interestingly, for some of these strains, antagonism reverted to synergism, favouring one of the indicator strains (Peptostreptococcus anaerobius) when the growth medium was changed. Partial characterization of antagonistic substances suggested a bacteriocin-like chemical nature. Depending on growth conditions, G. vaginalis isolated from women with BV produced antagonistic or synergistic compounds for other bacterial components of the vaginal ecosystem. This is the first report to our knowledge of the production of antagonistic and/or synergistic substances by G. vaginalis. This ability may be a pivotal factor in understanding BV and the ecological role of this bacterium in the vaginal environment.


2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 2692-2695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose A. Simoes ◽  
Diane M. Citron ◽  
Alla Aroutcheva ◽  
Robert A. Anderson ◽  
Calvin J. Chany ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT This is the first report demonstrating the in vitro inhibitory activity of two novel microbicides (cellulose sulfate and polystyrene sulfonate) against bacterial vaginosis (BV)-associated bacteria. Vaginal application of these microbicides not only may reduce the risk of acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus and other sexually transmitted infection-causing organisms but may also decrease the incidence of BV.


1985 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian M. Jones ◽  
Ian Geary ◽  
Anura B. Alawattegama ◽  
George R. Kinghorn ◽  
Brian I. Duerden

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 21-26
Author(s):  
Alevtina M. Savicheva ◽  
Elena V. Spasibova

Introduction. The study is in vitro experiment, aimed to determine antibiotic susceptibility of microorganisms isolated from the urogenital tract of women to the combination of substances included in the preparation Terzhinan. Methods. In total, 516 microorganism strains isolated from the vagina of reproductive age women have been tested: Candida spp. (n = 83), bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae (n = 138), Streptococcus agalactiae (n = 72), Enterococcus spp. (n = 147), Staphylococcus spp. (n = 37), Actinomyces urogenitalis (n = 7), Gardnerella vaginalis (n = 27), Atopobium vaginae (n = 5). Suspensions of each strain in a volume of 0.5 ml (0.5 according to McFarland) were applied onto culture medium (Muller-Hinton Agar or 5% Blood Muller-Hinton Agar). Furthermore, serial dilutions of Terzhinan were applied with a calibrated loop onto three sectors. Petri dishes were then incubated at 37 °С for 24 h. The results were evaluated visually, by measuring growth inhibition zones. Results. The majority of Candida albicans isolates were susceptible (S) to the preparation, using both undiluted and diluted (10 and 100 times) preparation. Terzhinan without dilution and in the dilution 1:10 was 100% effective against all tested bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Susceptibility of gram positive bacteria to the antibiotics included in Terzhinan, was 74.1%. All isolates of staphylococci, including Staphylococcus aureus, were susceptible. The frequency of susceptible strains of Streptococcus agalactiae and Enterococcus spp. was 70%. All clinical isolates of Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae were susceptible to the combinations of antibiotics included in the preparation Terzhinan, which is in agreement with data on its high efficiency in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis. Conclusions. In in vitro experiment, the combined preparation Terzhinan showed high activity against major groups of microorganisms isolated from the vagina including pathological conditions, such as bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginitis of different etiology.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 728
Author(s):  
Zhixiang Qian ◽  
Hui Zhu ◽  
Dan Zhao ◽  
Ping Yang ◽  
Fei Gao ◽  
...  

Gardnerella vaginalis contributes significantly to bacterial vaginosis, which causes an ecological imbalance in vaginal microbiota and presents with the depletion of Lactobacillus sp. Lactobacillus supplementation was reported to be an approach to treat bacterial vaginosis. We investigated the applicability of three Lactobacillus sp. strains (Lactobacillus delbrueckii DM8909, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC14917, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZX27) based on their probiotic abilities in vitro. The three candidate Lactobacillus sp. strains for bacterial vaginosis therapy showed distinct properties in auto-aggregation ability, hydrophobicity, adhesion to cervical epithelial cells, and survivability in 0.01% hydrogen peroxide. Lpb. plantarum ZX27 showed a higher yield in producing short-chain fatty acids and lactic acid among the three candidate strains, and all three Lactobacillus sp. strains inhibited the growth and adhesion of G. vaginalis. Furthermore, we discovered that the culture supernatant of Lactobacillus sp. exhibited anti-biofilm activity against G. vaginalis. In particular, the Lpb. plantarum ZX27 supernatant treatment decreased the expression of genes related to virulence factors, adhesion, biofilm formation, metabolism, and antimicrobial resistance in biofilm-forming cells and suspended cells. Moreover, Lactobacillus sp. decreased the upregulated expression of interleukin−8 in HeLa cells induced by G. vaginalis or hydrogen peroxide. These results demonstrate the efficacy of Lactobacillus sp. application for treating bacterial vaginosis by limiting the growth, adhesion, biofilm formation, and virulence properties of G. vaginalis.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document