Investigation of Lactobacillus Reuteri' s oral colonization in animal model.

It' s known that the usage of probiotic products has increased rapidly in recent years. Due to their properties, probiotic bacteria replace with pathogenic bacteria and compose an environment that do not damage and benefit the host. Therefore, the effect of these developing and promising products on oral flora and dental plaque, has been the subject of research . The aim of the present study is to investigate the ability of L. reuteri to colonise in oral flora in vivo. An ethical approval was received from Yeditepe University Experimental Animal Ethics. 24 Spraque Dawley rats at the age of 1 month without having S. mutans and L. reuteri in their saliva, were randomly divided into 3 groups. The first group, Control group, was infected with S. mutans at 2. month. S. mutans counts were determined with microbiological saliva analyzes at the month of 3rd, 4th and 5th. The second group, Probiotic I group was infected with S. mutans at 2. month, infected with L. reuteri at 3. month. S. mutans and L. reuteri counts are determined with microbiological saliva analyzes at the month of 3rd, 4th and 5th. The third group, Probiotic II group was infected with L. reuteri at the 2. month, infected with S. mutans at 3. month. S. mutans and L. reuteri counts are determined with microbiological saliva analyzes at the month of 3rd, 4th and 5th. S. mutans counts of Control group and Probiotic I group increased steadily at 3. and 4. months, and gradually decreased at 5. month. L. reuteri counts of Probiotic I group increased steadily at 4. and 5. month. L. reuteri counts of Probiotic II group increased steadily at 3rd, 4th and 5th months. In Probiotic I group, S. mutans counts decreased in paralel with Control group. In Probiotic II group, S. mutans counts started at a higher level than Control group and decreased at 5. month. Therefore, it may be concluded that, L. reuteri promised a better colonization as a `first colonisation strain'. In conclusion, it' s more convenient to conduct more studies regarding L. reuteri.