Anaerobic bacteria that metabolize oxalic acid have only recently been isolated from the rumen and from other gastrointestinal habitats. They constitute a new genus and species, Oxalobacter formigenes. This report presents the first comparison of cultural counts of these organisms from human feces and indicates that numbers as high as 10(7)/g may be present in feces from normal humans. Rates of oxalate degradation by mixed bacterial populations in feces from seven normal humans ranged from 0.1 to 4.8 mumol/(g X h). With fecal samples from eight patients that had undergone jejunoileal bypass surgery, rates were much lower [0-0.006 mumol/(g X h)]. We propose that oxalic acid degradation by Oxalobacter formigenes may influence absorption of oxalate from the intestine and that lower rates or lack of oxalate degradation in the colons of jejunoileal bypass patients may contribute to the increased absorption of dietary oxalate and the hyperoxaluria commonly associated with such patients.
Rates of oxalate degradation by microbes in gastrointestinal contents from rabbits, guinea pigs, swine and a horse increased after additional of oxalate to diets. A similar response was previously observed with ruminal microbes from cattle and sheep. Bacterial that utilize oxalate for growth appear to be selected by increased levels of dietary oxalate.
Concentrations of oxalate‐degrading anaerobes in ruminal contents of sheep were determined from counts of colonies producing clear zones on a calcium oxalate medium (D agar with 7 mM CaCl2). Viable counts of oxalate degraders from a 55‐kg sheep fed a diet containing 32% halogeton (4.6% oxalate) averaged 2.6 × 106/ g (dry weight). When the halogeton concentration in the diet was reduced to 16%, counts of oxalate degraders decreased nearly 300‐fold. Oxalate‐degrading isolates from this sheep were similar to OxB, the type strain of Oxalobacter formigenes. When a 45‐kg sheep was fed diets containing 2.2, 1.5, and 0.8% oxalate, viable counts of oxalate degraders (enumerated on D agar with 14 mM CaCl2 and 20% filter‐sterilized ruminal fluid) represented 0.85, 0.52, and 0.06% of the total viable population, respectively; total viable counts were essentially unchanges by these concentrations of dietary oxalate. Similar percentages of oxalate degraders were also observed when a 23‐kg sheep was fed diets containing 1.5 or 0.8% oxalate. This report presents the first direct measurements of the concentrations of oxalate‐degrading bacteria in the rumen and supports the concept that the availability of oxalate in the diet influences the proportion of oxalate‐degrading bacteria in the rumen
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