Microbiota-accessible carbohydrates suppress Clostridium difficile infection in a murine model.

ABSTRACT: Clostridium difficile is an opportunistic diarrhoeal pathogen, and C. difficile infection (CDI) represents a major health care concern, causing an estimated 15,000 deaths per year in the United States alone ¹ . Several enteric pathogens, including C. difficile, leverage inflammation and the accompanying microbial dysbiosis to thrive in the distal gut ² . Although diet is among the most powerful available tools for affecting the health of humans and their relationship with their microbiota, investigation into the effects of diet on CDI has been limited. Here, we show in mice that the consumption of microbiota-accessible carbohydrates (MACs) found in dietary plant polysaccharides has a significant effect on CDI. Specifically, using a model of antibiotic-induced CDI that

SUBMITTER: Hryckowian AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6126909 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature