Avaliação in vitro e in vivo do potencial probiótico de linhagensde Lactobacillus provenientes do canal vaginal de mulheressaudáveis, contra Candida spp.

• Ano de defesa: 2007
• Autor(a) principal: Fabio Pereira de Carvalho
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; UFMG
• Palavras-chave em Português: Candidíase vaginal; Candida; probióticos; Lactobacillus; Lactobacilo; Candidiase
• Link de acesso: http://hdl.handle.net/1843/BUOS-8E5EKR

Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a disease caused by a fungus from the group of yeasts and the genus Candida that affects millions of women every year worldwide. Most cases can be solved by antifungals, but it is estimated that 5 to 10% of women present recurrence. For this reason, alternative therapies have been proposed, such as the use of probiotic lactobacilli. In this study, the probiotic properties of 15 samples of Lactobacillus crispatus and six samples of Lactobacillus johnsonii, obtained from the vaginal fluid of healthy women, have been tested against Candida species. Both species were the most commonly found in a previous study with 16 healthy patients. The double-layer technique was used to evaluate in vitro antagonism against Candida albicans ATCC 18804, C. tropicalis ATCC 750 and C. krusei ATCC 20298.All tests were performed in duplicate. Three samples of L. crispatus showed antagonistic activity against a greater number of Candida strains and were selected for subsequent in vivo studies with NIH germ-free female BALB-c mice. The in vivo studies were divided into three phases, which differed by the Candida strain used. The animals of the test (n=7, n=6 and n=6) and control groups (n=7, n=6 and n=6) were respectively intravaginally inoculated with a pool containing the three samplesof L. crispatus and sterilized MRS broth. Four days after, the mice from both groups were inoculated subcutaneously with estrogen to ensure the viability of Candida infections. Seven days after the first inoculums, the animals from both groups were inoculated by one of the following yeasts strains: C. albicans ATCC 18804, C. tropicalis ATCC 750 and a strain of Candida albicans isolated from a patient with vulvovaginal candidiasis. Student T test was used for statistical analysis of in vivo studies. No difference was observed between control and test groups when C.albicans ATCC 18804 and C. albicans from the patient with vulvovaginal candidiasis were used (p < 0,05). On the other hand, a significant difference was found when C. tropicalis ATCC 750 was used. In this case, the lactobacilli did not show efficacy in preventing or reducing the Candida infection, but it seemed not to allow the increase of the yeast population. Obtained data indicate a possible probiotic activity of thetested lactobacilli, although more tests are needed to better evaluate theirantagonistic properties and applicability in the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis.