Bioluminescence Imaging to Track Inhibition of Infection in Mice.

is an anaerobic, Gram-negative, commensal bacterium of the human gut. It plays an important role in promoting the maturation of the immune system, as well as suppressing abnormal inflammation. Many recent studies have focused on the relationship between and human immunity, and indicate that has many useful probiotic effects. As inhibition of intestinal pathogens is an important characteristic of probiotic strains, this study examined whether could inhibit pathogenic bacteria. Results showed that was inhibited by , and that could protect both RAW 264.7 and LoVo cells from damage caused by . Using imaging, we constructed a light-emitting strain and showed that might shorten the colonization time and reduce the number of -expressing bacteria in a mouse model. These results provide useful information for developing into a probiotic product, and also indicate that this commensal bacterium might aid in the clinical treatment of gastroenteritis caused by .