Aim:  To develop in vitro assays for comparing the antagonistic properties and anti‐oxidative activity of probiotic Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains against various entero‐ and urinary pathogens. Methods and Results:  The antagonistic activity of five probiotic lactobacilli (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus fermentum ME‐3, Lactobacillus acidophilus La5, Lactobacillus plantarum 299v and Lactobacillus paracasei 8700:2) and two bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12, Bifidobacterium longum 46) against six target pathogens was estimated using different assays (solid and liquid media, anaerobic and microaerobic cultivation) and ranked (low, intermediate and high). Bacterial fermentation products were determined by gas chromatography, and the total anti‐oxidative activity of probiotics was measured using linolenic acid test. Pyelonephritic Escherichia coli was highly suppressed by GG and both bifidobacteria strains. Lactobacilli strains 8700:2, 299v and ME‐3 were the most effective against Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica in microaerobic while ME‐3 and both bifidobacteria expressed high activity against Shigella sonnei in anaerobic milieu. Lact. paracasei, Lact. rhamnosus and Lact. plantarum strains showed intermediate antagonistic activity against Helicobacter pylori under microaerobic conditions on solid media. The highest anti‐oxidative activity was characteristic for Lact. fermentum ME‐3 (P < 0·05). No efficient antagonist against Clostridium difficile was found. The positive correlations between the pH, lactic acid production and anti‐microbial activity for all tested probiotics were assessed. Conclusions:  Developed experimental assays enable to compare the anti‐microbial and ‐oxidative activity of Lactobacillus and/or Bifidobacterium probiotics, which have been claimed to possess the ability of suppressing the growth of various enteric and urinary pathogens. Significance and Impact of the Study:  Screening Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium sp. strains according to their activity in various environmental conditions could precede the clinical efficacy studies for adjunct treatment with probiotics in cure of different gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections.

The present study aimed at assessing the counts and species distribution of intestinal lactobacilli and exploring if the data are associated with BMI and blood glucose level in healthy adults and elderly persons. The BMI (P,0·01), the level of fasting blood glucose (P,0·001) and the total counts of lactobacilli (P, 0·01 by bacteriology; P,0·001 by real-time PCR) were higher in the elderly. The number of species in adults was lower (P, 0·05), who were more often colonised with Lactobacillus acidophilus (P¼0·031) and L. helveticus (P, 0·001). In contrast, L. plantarum (P¼ 0·035), L. paracasei (P,0·001) and L. reuteri (P¼ 0·031) were more prevalent in the elderly. L. rhamnosus was detected in adults (P, 0·001), but not in any elderly person. BMI was associated with counts of lactobacilli, adjusted for age and sex (P¼ 0·008). The higher BMI in both groups of persons was associated with the presence of obligate homofermentative lactobacilli and L. sakei, both adjusted for age and sex. Plasma glucose values were positively correlated with BMI and negatively correlated with colonisation with L. paracasei (P¼ 0·0238) in adults and on the borderline with L. fermentum (P¼0·052) in the elderly. Thus, the species-specific PCR analysis of Lactobacillus sp. combined with viable plating data indicates substantial age-related structural differences in the intestinal lactobacilli communities. The higher counts of intestinal Lactobacillus sp. are associated with higher BMI and blood glucose content, while their specific fermentative groups and species of lactobacilli appear at different glucose levels both in adults and in the elderly.

The aim of the study was to find out the correlation between white blood cell (WBC) counts in semen and quantitative composition of seminal microflora, and to establish the minimum WBC count associated with significant bacteriospermia. The research included 159 men with different WBC counts in their semen, 84 of them with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Semen samples were cultivated quantitatively for detecting anaerobic, microaerophilic and aerobic bacteria. Bryan-Leishman stained slides were used for detecting WBC in semen. Seminal fluid was colonized by eight different microorganisms, and the total count of microorganisms in semen ranged from 102 to 107 CFU ml-1. A high frequency of anaerobic microorganisms was found. A positive correlation was observed between the WBC count and the number of different microorganisms, and also between the WBC count and the total count of microorganisms in semen sample. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the WHO-defined WBC cut-off point (1 x 106 WBC ml-1) has very low sensitivity for discriminating between patients with and without significant bacteriospermia, as a more optimal sensitivity/specificity ratio appears at 0.2 x 106 WBC ml-1 of semen. The quantitative microbiological finding of semen in the patients of National Institute of Health (NIH) categories IIIa and IV was very similar, i.e. a high number of different microorganisms and a high total count of microorganisms. In the control group (without leucocytospermia and prostatitis symptoms) both parameters were significantly lower.

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