Oral probiotics can resolve urogenital infections

Authors

Marc B. Habash, The University of Western Ontario
Henny C. Van der Mai, University of Groningen
Hank J. Busscher, The University of Western Ontario
Gregor Reid, The University of Western Ontario

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1999

Journal

Canadian Journal of Microbiology

Volume

45

Issue

8

First Page

691

Last Page

694

URL with Digital Object Identifier

10.1139/w99-065

Abstract

In this study, urine was collected from groups of volunteers following the consumption of water, ascorbic acid, or cranberry supplements. Only ascorbic acid intake consistently produced acidic urine. Photospectroscopy data indicated that increased water consumption produced urine with lower protein content. Surface tension measurements of the collected urine showed that both water and cranberry supplementation consistently produced urine with surface tensions higher than the control or urine collected following ascorbic acid intake. These urine samples were also employed to study uropathogen adhesion to silicone rubber in a parallel plate flow chamber. Urine obtained after ascorbic acid or cranberry supplementation reduced the initial deposition rates and numbers of adherent Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis, but not Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, or Candida albicans. Conversely, urine obtained from subjects with increased water intake vastly increased the initial deposition rates and numbers of adherent E. coli and E. faecalis (P < 0.05).