Probiotic Interference of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus Reuteri RC-14 with the Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen Candida Albicans

Overview

Journal Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol

Publisher Wiley

Specialties Gynecology & Obstetrics
Infectious Diseases

Date 2012 Jul 20

PMID 22811591

Citations 67

Authors

Gerwald A Kohler

Senait Assefa

Gregor Reid

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Candida albicans is the most important Candida species causing vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). VVC has significant medical and economical impact on women's health and wellbeing. While current antifungal treatment is reasonably effective, supportive and preventive measures such as application of probiotics are required to reduce the incidence of VVC. We investigated the potential of the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 towards control of C. albicans. In vitro experiments demonstrated that lactic acid at low pH plays a major role in suppressing fungal growth. Viability staining following cocultures with lactobacilli revealed that C. albicans cells lost metabolic activity and eventually were killed. Transcriptome analyses showed increased expression of stress-related genes and lower expression of genes involved in fluconazole resistance, which might explain the increased eradication of Candida in a previous clinical study on conjoint probiotic therapy. Our results provide insights on the impact of probiotics on C. albicans survival.

Citing Articles

Evaluation of the efficacy of supplementary probiotic capsules with topical clobetasol propionate 0.05% versus topical clobetasol propionate 0.05% in the treatment of oral lichen planus (a randomized clinical trial).

Kamal Y, Abdelwhab A, Salem S, Fakhr M BMC Oral Health. 2025; 25(1):344.

PMID: 40045332 PMC: 11884111. DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-05246-x.

AJCR4: A Potential Probiotic in the Fight Against Oral spp. Biofilms.

Rajao A, Silva J, Almeida-Nunes D, Rompante P, Rodrigues C, Andrade J Int J Mol Sci. 2025; 26(2).

PMID: 39859352 PMC: 11766303. DOI: 10.3390/ijms26020638.

Anticandidal Activity of Various Probiotic Lactobacillus Strains and Their Efficacy Enhanced by Prebiotic Supplementation.

Chantanawilas P, Pahumunto N, Thananimit S, Teanpaisan R Curr Microbiol. 2024; 81(9):271.

PMID: 39012492 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03800-y.

Synergistic Inhibition of Synbiotic Cultures among Lactobacilli and Plant Extracts against Vaginal Discharge Causing .

Sookkhee S, Khamnoi P, Sastraruji T, Boonkum S, Wikan N, Nimlamool W Nutrients. 2024; 16(9).

PMID: 38732618 PMC: 11085874. DOI: 10.3390/nu16091372.

Multifactorial inhibition of Candida albicans by combinations of lactobacilli and probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856.

Spacova I, Allonsius C, De Boeck I, Oerlemans E, Tuyaerts I, Van de Vliet N Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):9365.

PMID: 38654026 PMC: 11039719. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59869-9.

References

Lee K, Buckley H, CAMPBELL C . An amino acid liquid synthetic medium for the development of mycelial and yeast forms of Candida Albicans. Sabouraudia. 1975; 13(2):148-53. DOI: 10.1080/00362177585190271. View

Han T, Cannon R, Villas-Boas S . The metabolic basis of Candida albicans morphogenesis and quorum sensing. Fungal Genet Biol. 2011; 48(8):747-63. DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2011.04.002. View

Martinez R, Seney S, Summers K, Nomizo A, De Martinis E, Reid G . Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 on the ability of Candida albicans to infect cells and induce inflammation. Microbiol Immunol. 2009; 53(9):487-95. DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2009.00154.x. View

Franz R, Michel S, Morschhauser J . A fourth gene from the Candida albicans CDR family of ABC transporters. Gene. 1998; 220(1-2):91-8. DOI: 10.1016/s0378-1119(98)00412-0. View

Reid G, Kim S, Kohler G . Selecting, testing and understanding probiotic microorganisms. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2006; 46(2):149-57. DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-695X.2005.00026.x. View

Samaranayake L, Hughes A, Weetman D, MacFarlane T . Growth and acid production of Candida species in human saliva supplemented with glucose. J Oral Pathol. 1986; 15(5):251-4. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0714.1986.tb00617.x. View

Reid G, Cook R, Bruce A . Examination of strains of lactobacilli for properties that may influence bacterial interference in the urinary tract. J Urol. 1987; 138(2):330-5. DOI: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)43137-5. View

De Bernardis F, Muhlschlegel F, Cassone A, Fonzi W . The pH of the host niche controls gene expression in and virulence of Candida albicans. Infect Immun. 1998; 66(7):3317-25. PMC: 108348. DOI: 10.1128/IAI.66.7.3317-3325.1998. View

White T . Increased mRNA levels of ERG16, CDR, and MDR1 correlate with increases in azole resistance in Candida albicans isolates from a patient infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1997; 41(7):1482-7. PMC: 163944. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.41.7.1482. View

10.

Marr K, Lyons C, Rustad T, Bowden R, White T, Rustad T . Rapid, transient fluconazole resistance in Candida albicans is associated with increased mRNA levels of CDR. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1998; 42(10):2584-9. PMC: 105901. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.42.10.2584. View

11.

Colantuoni C, Henry G, Zeger S, Pevsner J . SNOMAD (Standardization and NOrmalization of MicroArray Data): web-accessible gene expression data analysis. Bioinformatics. 2002; 18(11):1540-1. DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/18.11.1540. View

12.

Achkar J, Fries B . Candida infections of the genitourinary tract. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2010; 23(2):253-73. PMC: 2863365. DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00076-09. View

13.

Skrzypek M, Arnaud M, Costanzo M, Inglis D, Shah P, Binkley G . New tools at the Candida Genome Database: biochemical pathways and full-text literature search. Nucleic Acids Res. 2009; 38(Database issue):D428-32. PMC: 2808937. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkp836. View

14.

Fuchs S, Pane-Farre J, Kohler C, Hecker M, Engelmann S . Anaerobic gene expression in Staphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol. 2007; 189(11):4275-89. PMC: 1913399. DOI: 10.1128/JB.00081-07. View

15.

Birse C, Sypherd P, Fonzi W . PHR1, a pH-regulated gene of Candida albicans, is required for morphogenesis. Mol Cell Biol. 1995; 15(2):601-13. PMC: 231914. DOI: 10.1128/MCB.15.2.601. View

16.

Samaranayake L, GEDDES D, Weetman D, MacFarlane T . Growth and acid production of Candida albicans in carbohydrate supplemented media. Microbios. 1983; 37(148):105-15. View

17.

Sobel J, Faro S, FORCE R, Foxman B, Ledger W, Nyirjesy P . Vulvovaginal candidiasis: epidemiologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic considerations. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1998; 178(2):203-11. DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9378(98)80001-x. View

18.

Reid G, Charbonneau D, Erb J, Kochanowski B, Beuerman D, Poehner R . Oral use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and L. fermentum RC-14 significantly alters vaginal flora: randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 64 healthy women. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2003; 35(2):131-4. DOI: 10.1016/S0928-8244(02)00465-0. View

19.

Calderon J, Zavrel M, Ragni E, Fonzi W, Rupp S, Popolo L . PHR1, a pH-regulated gene of Candida albicans encoding a glucan-remodelling enzyme, is required for adhesion and invasion. Microbiology (Reading). 2010; 156(Pt 8):2484-2494. DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.038000-0. View

20.

Martinez R, Franceschini S, Patta M, Quintana S, Candido R, Ferreira J . Improved treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis with fluconazole plus probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2009; 48(3):269-74. DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-765X.2008.02477.x. View