Table 2

Quantitative bacteriology of caecal content by fluorescent in situ hybridisation

TreatmentTotal bacterial count (108)E coli (107)E faecalis (107)Bacteroides spp (107)Lactobacilli spp (107)
Caecal luminal concentrations of Escherichia coli, enterococci, Bacteroides spp, and lactobacilli spp in gnotobiotic IL-10−/− mice colonised with specific pathogen free flora and treated with ciprofloxacin (Cipro), metronidazole (MNZ), or vancomycin-imipenem (V+I). Values are given as mean (SEM) per gram of caecal content, measured by fluorescent in situ hybridisation using probes specific for 16S ribosomal RNA of E coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacteroides spp, and lactobacilli spp.
<1, below detection limit of 107 bacteria/g content.
**p<0.01 versus water controls.
Water86 (21)6 (2)40 (38)114 (39)141 (40)
MNZ85 (9)171 (47)**78 (40)<1**247 (48)
Cipro31 (7)<1**<1**61 (12)11 (5)**
V+I18 (1)**<1**<1**<1**<1**