Figure 3
Schistosoma -mediated protection of Salmonella exposed to amoxicillin, cefepime, cefpodoxime, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, sulfadimethoxine, or tetracycline. Approximately 104 CFUs of antibiotic-sensitive Salmonella typhimurium were incubated with a single adult Schistosoma for two hours followed by the addition of the "breakpoint" concentration [17] of an antibiotic. Data presented are the percentages of Salmonella killed or inhibited by antibiotics prior to incubation with schistosomes (open boxes) or in the presence of Schistosoma (black boxes). Data presented are the mean ± SEM for three independent experiments each performed in triplicate. Bacterial survival was significantly higher (p <0.01) during adherence to schistosomes when compared to the schistosome-free condition for a given antibiotic. No significant differences were noted for survival of bacteria prior to schistosome attachment, following attachment to schistosomes, in the presence of HEp-2 cells, or in the presence of Girardia (data not shown).