Food supplementation with milk fermented by Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 protects suckling rats from rotavirus-associated diarrhea

Group A rotavirus is the leading cause of diarrhea among children aged 3-36 mo worldwide. Introducing fermented milk products into the infant diet has been proposed for the prevention or treatment of rotavirus diarrhea. The preventive effect of milk fermented by the Lactobacillus casei strain DN-114 001 was studied in a model of germfree suckling rats supplemented daily from d 2 of life and infected with SA11 rotavirus at d 5 (RF group). One group was supplemented with nonfermented milk (RM) and two uninfected groups (CM and CF) received either nonfermented or fermented milk. Frequency and severity of diarrhea were observed. Rats were killed at various times from 0 to 120 h postinfection (p.i.). Bacteria were measured in the intestine, and rotavirus antigens were detected by ELISA in fecal samples and in different parts of the intestine. Histologic observations were made, including vacuolation, morphology of intestinal villi and number of mucin cells. RM rats had diarrhea for 6 d; compared with the CM group, they had alterations of the intestinal mucosa characterized by cellular vacuolation 48 and 72 h p.i. and a lower number of sulfated mucin cells 72 and 96 h p.i. (P < 0.05). Early supplementation with fermented milk significantly decreased the clinical signs of diarrhea from 24 to 144 h p.i. (P < 0.05) and prevented rotavirus infection in all sections of the intestine. Histologic lesions of the small intestine were greatly reduced (P < 0.05) and the number of mucin cells remained unchanged. The data are discussed with respect to the possibility of reducing rotavirus diarrhea in young children by consumption of fermented milk.