AUTHOR=Zhang Yong , Qi Zhimin , Liu Yan , He Wenqi , Yang Cheng , Wang Quan , Dong Jing , Deng Xuming 

TITLE=Baicalin Protects Mice from Lethal Infection by Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2017

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.00395

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2017.00395

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=Shiga-like toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 poses grave challenges to public health by its ability to cause severe colonic diseases and renal failure in both human and some animals, such as greyhound dogs. This problem is complicated by the fact that antibiotic treatments of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) infections may increase the risk of the hemolytic–uremic syndrome (HUS) in patients. In this study, we found that post-infection use of the natural compound baicalin (BAI) significantly reduces O157:H7-induced lethality and renal damage in mice. Our results establish baicalin as a potentially effective treatment for STEC infections.