Effects of mixed lactic acid bacteria on intestinal microbiota of mice infected with Staphylococcus aureus.

Background: The stability of intestinal microorganisms plays an important role in human health, as the intestines perform important functions in the human body. Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic bacteria, it causes human infection worldwide, and is a major pathogen that causes intestinal infection. Mixed lactic acid bacteria (LAB) may have potential in the prevention and treatment of S. aureus infection. In the present study, we examined the effects of mixed LAB treatment on intestinal microbiota modulation in mice infected with S. aureus.

Results: High-throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene showed that the mixed LAB maintained the richness and diversity of the microbiota in the mouse intestine. By establishing operational taxonomic units and using rarefaction analysis, rank-abundance distribution curves, heat maps, Venn diagrams, bacterial community structures, and hierarchical clustering analysis, Bacteroidales, Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroides and Prevotellaceae were the most abundant taxa in the samples, we found that the composition of the intestinal microbiota was similar between the protection group administered mixed LAB and the negative control group.

Conclusions: Staphylococcus aureus destroys the stable intestinal microbiota structure of mice, treatment with mixed LAB could prevent S. aureus infection in mice and improve the structure of the intestinal microbiota.