Abstract

Microbial translocation is defined as the passage of viable microbes from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to extraintestinal sites, such as the mesenteric lymph node (MLN), spleen, liver, kidneys, and blood. The ability of orally administered viable Saccharomyces boulardii to inhibit Candida albicans translocation from the GI tract was tested in antibiotic-decontaminated, specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice, which were orally challenged with C. albicans to promote intestinal overgrowth and subsequent translocation of this organism. Oral S. boulardii treatment reduced the incidence of MLN cultures positive for C. albicans but did not decrease the numbers of C. albicans per gram of MLN in these immunocompetent mice. Prednisolone immunosuppression increased translocation of C. albicans to the MLN and allowed translocating C. albicans to spread systemically to the spleen, liver, and kidneys. In these immunosuppressed mice, orally administered S. boulardii decreased both the incidence of C. albicans translocation to the MLN, liver, and kidneys and the number of translocating C. albicans per gram of MLN, spleen, and kidneys.