Enhancement of Growth of Aerobic, Anaerobic, and Facultative Bacteria in Mixed Infections with Anaerobic and Facultative Gram-Positive Cocci

摘要

Anaerobic and facultative gram-positive cocci (AFGPC) mixed with other bacteria are frequently recovered from infections at different sites in the body. Although many of these organisms are synergistic, the exact role of AFGPC in these infections and their effect on their aerobic or anaerobic counterparts have not been defined. Previous studies have reported that the relationships between AFGPC and other aerobic, facultative, and anaerobic bacteria are synergistic. However, the criteria for synergy were judged by induction of sepsis, enumeration of mortality, or ability to induce abscesses. None of these previous studies defined the role of each of the bacterial strains involved in mixed infection. In this study we evaluated the potential for mutual enhancement and synergy between AFGPC and other bacteria commonly present with AFGPC in clinical infections. This was done by measuring the relative increase in colony-forming units (CFU) of each bacterial component of mixed infections in subcutaneous abscesses in mice. Keywords: Reprints; Infection; Cultures biology. (KT)