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Human and animal infections with bacteria of the genus Sarcina (family Clostridiaceae ) are associated with gastric dilation and emphysematous gastritis. However, the potential roles of sarcinae as commensals or pathogens remain unclear. Here, we investigate a lethal disease of unknown etiology that affects sanctuary chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes verus ) in Sierra Leone. The disease, which we have named “epizootic neurologic and gastroenteric syndrome” (ENGS), is characterized by neurologic and gastrointestinal signs and results in death of the animals, even after medical treatment. Using a case-control study design, we show that ENGS is strongly associated with Sarcina infection. The microorganism is distinct from Sarcina ventriculi and other known members of its genus, based on bacterial morphology and growth characteristics. Whole-genome sequencing confirms this distinction and reveals the presence of genetic features that may account for the unusual virulence of the bacterium. Therefore, we propose that this organism be considered the representative of a new species, named “ Candidatus Sarcina troglodytae”. Our results suggest that a heretofore unrecognized complex of related sarcinae likely exists, some of which may be highly virulent. However, the potential role of “ Ca . S. troglodytae” in the etiology of ENGS, alone or in combination with other factors, remains a topic for future research. Infections with bacteria of the genus Sarcina are associated with gastric diseases of unclear etiology. Here, Owens et al. show that infection with a distinct Sarcina species is strongly associated with a lethal disease that affects sanctuary chimpanzees in Sierra Leone.

Sarcina ventriculi is an increasingly common gram-positive coccus, recognized in gastric biopsies, particularly of patients with delayed gastric emptying. It occurs most commonly in adult women and can be identified easily by its characteristic morphologic features, such as basophilic staining, cuboid shape, tetrad arrangement, red blood cell–sized packets, flattened cell walls, and refractile nature on light microscopy. Although the pathogenesis of the organism is debated, it has been implicated in cases of gastric perforation, emphysematous gastritis, and peritonitis as well as occurring in the background of gastric adenocarcinomas. This review of the literature discusses the clinical features, endoscopy findings, histopathology, ancillary studies, microbiology, pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of this bacterium based on 19 published cases.

Sarcina ventriculi is a bacterium with a specific histological morphology and infection can present with symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and occasionally fatal complications. Delayed gastric emptying is regarded as the most significant risk factor for infection. Its pathogenicity is currently unknown and treatment options are inconsistent. Here we report a case of gastric bezoars secondary to a mixed infection of Sarcina ventriculi and G + bacilli, which is diagnosed by a pathological biopsy.

Background: Sarcina ventriculi is a bacterium predominantly reported in the stomach and associated with emphysematous gastritis, delayed gastric emptying, gastroparesis, or gastric outlet obstruction. Its prevalence is increasing among patients with a history of organ transplants, immunosuppression, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This bacterium can be detected on histology with characteristic tetrad packet morphology; however, confirmation requires PCR and molecular studies. The role of Sarcina ventriculi in human diseases is not fully understood and has unclear clinical significance. While certain studies point to a possible pathogenic role, others regard its detection as incidental with no clear clinical consequence. Case presentation: Herein, we report a case of a 39-year-old male patient with primary refractory cHL, stage IVb, who underwent an autologous bone marrow transplant (BMT) and an allogeneic stem cell infusion. His post-transplant course was complicated by chronic kidney disease (CKD), malnutrition, depression, myopathy, skin, and colon GVHD. He eventually developed sepsis, was admitted to the ICU and developed multiorgan failure and passed away. The patient developed diarrhea, and the gastrointestinal specialist was consulted and revealed ulcerated ileitis and colitis. Biopsies were taken to evaluate for CMV infection and GVHD. The terminal ileum biopsy mainly revealed ulceration with granulation tissue formation and abundant microorganisms arranged in distinctive tetrads, characteristic of Sarcina ventriculi. The colonic biopsies were consistent with GVHD grade II. Conclusions: The significance of Sarcina microorganisms and their mechanisms of injury remain poorly understood. The identification of Sarcina ventriculi in the terminal ileum, which is an unusual and previously unreported finding, adds a new perspective to our understanding of its pathogenic potential and anatomical distribution. While the patient’s clinical decline was influenced by multiple factors, including GVHD, recurrent sepsis, and multiorgan failure, the role of Sarcina ventriculi as a potential exacerbating factor remains unclear.

Nausea and vomiting in a poorly controlled diabetic should not be assumed to be due to gastroparesis since more serious underlying conditions such as acute gastritis can be present. Acute infectious gastritis can be caused by a myriad of organisms. Sarcina ventriculi (ventricularis) is a rare organism often associated with delayed gastric emptying and acute gastritis that has been postulated to induce emphysematous gastritis and gastric perforation. In the setting of acute gastritis, antibiotic treatment of the infection is recommended.

Zinc oxide is an essential ingredient of many enzymes, sun screens, and ointments for pain and itch relief. Its microcrystals are very efficient light absorbers in the UVA and UVB region of spectra due to wide bandgap. Impact of zinc oxide on biological functions depends on its morphology, particle size, exposure time, concentration, pH, and biocompatibility. They are more effective against microorganisms such as Bacillus subtilis , Bacillus megaterium , Staphylococcus aureus , Sarcina lutea , Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Klebsiella pneumonia , Pseudomonas vulgaris , Candida albicans , and Aspergillus niger . Mechanism of action has been ascribed to the activation of zinc oxide nanoparticles by light, which penetrate the bacterial cell wall via diffusion. It has been confirmed from SEM and TEM images of the bacterial cells that zinc oxide nanoparticles disintegrate the cell membrane and accumulate in the cytoplasm where they interact with biomolecules causing cell apoptosis leading to cell death.

This study aimed at investigating the fecal microbiota and metabolome of children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and autism (AD) in comparison to healthy children (HC). Bacterial tag-encoded FLX-titanium amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP) of the 16S rDNA and 16S rRNA analyses were carried out to determine total bacteria (16S rDNA) and metabolically active bacteria (16S rRNA), respectively. The main bacterial phyla (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria and Verrucomicrobia) significantly (P<0.05) changed among the three groups of children. As estimated by rarefaction, Chao and Shannon diversity index, the highest microbial diversity was found in AD children. Based on 16S-rRNA and culture-dependent data, Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus were present at the highest level in fecal samples of PDD-NOS and HC children. Caloramator, Sarcina and Clostridium genera were the highest in AD children. Compared to HC, the composition of Lachnospiraceae family also differed in PDD-NOS and, especially, AD children. Except for Eubacterium siraeum, the lowest level of Eubacteriaceae was found on fecal samples of AD children. The level of Bacteroidetes genera and some Alistipes and Akkermansia species were almost the highest in PDD-NOS or AD children as well as almost all the identified Sutterellaceae and Enterobacteriaceae were the highest in AD. Compared to HC children, Bifidobacterium species decreased in AD. As shown by Canonical Discriminant Analysis of Principal Coordinates, the levels of free amino acids and volatile organic compounds of fecal samples were markedly affected in PDD-NOS and, especially, AD children. If the gut microbiota differences among AD and PDD-NOS and HC children are one of the concomitant causes or the consequence of autism, they may have implications regarding specific diagnostic test, and/or for treatment and prevention.

Sarcina Ventriculi is a gram-positive anaerobic coccus rarely reported in patients with delayed gastric emptying, emphysematous gastritis, gastric ulcers, and perforation. So far, less than 30 cases of sarcina isolated from the stomach have been reported. Herein, we describe a case of a 66-year-old male with a history of persistent epigastric pain and regurgitation. The upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy revealed gastric erythema, edema, ulceration, and food bezoar. A gastric biopsy was done to rule out lymphoma. On histopathological examination, sarcina Ventriculi was identified. This organism is likely to get underreported as it may not be that obvious on routinely stained biopsies. Given its association with life-threatening illness such as emphysematous gastritis and perforation, awareness of this organism is important. It's presence in gastric biopsies must be mentioned in the report and should prompt the clinicians to investigate further for functional causes of delayed gastric emptying and gastric outlet obstruction like occult malignancy.

Sarcina spp. has been isolated from the gastrointestinal tracts of diverse mammalian hosts. Their presence is often associated with host health complications, as is evident from many previously published medical case reports. However, only a handful of studies have made proper identification. Most other identifications were solely based on typical Sarcina-like morphology without genotyping. Therefore, the aim of this work was culture detection and the taxonomic classification of Sarcina isolates originating from different mammalian hosts. Sarcina-like colonies were isolated and collected during cultivation analyses of animal fecal samples (n = 197) from primates, dogs, calves of domestic cattle, elephants, and rhinoceroses. The study was carried out on apparently healthy animals kept in zoos or by breeders in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Selected isolates were identified and compared using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA; Iles, pheT, pyrG, rplB, rplC, and rpsC). The results indicate the taxonomic variability of Sarcina isolates. S. ventriculi appears to be a common gut microorganism in various captive primates. In contrast, a random occurrence was also recorded in dogs. However, dog isolate N13/4e could represent the next potential novel Sarcina taxonomic unit. Also, a potentially novel Sarcina species was found in elephants, with occurrences in all tested hosts. S. maxima isolates were detected rarely, only in rhinoceroses. Although Sarcina bacteria are often linked to lethal diseases, our results indicate that Sarcina spp. appear to be a common member of the gut microbiota and seem to be an opportunistic pathogen. Further characterization and pathogenic analyses are required.

Background Appreciable evidence suggest that dysbiosis in microbiota, reflected in gut microbial imbalance plays a key role in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression and inflammatory diseases. Recently, the antidepressant properties of ketamine have gained prominence due to its fast and long lasting effects. Additional uses for ketamine in inflammatory disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome have been suggested. However, ketamine’s exact mechanism of action and potential effects on microbiome is not known. Here, we examined the effects of low dose ketamine, known to induce antidepressant effects, on stool microbiome profile in adult male Wistar rats. Animals (5/group) were injected intraperitoneally with ketamine (2.5 mg/kg) or saline, daily for 7 days and sacrificed on day 8 when intestinal stools were collected and stored at − 80 °C. DNA was extracted from the samples and the 16 S rRNA gene-based microbiota analysis was performed using 16S Metagenomics application. Results At genus–level, ketamine strikingly amplified Lactobacillus , Turicibacter and Sarcina by 3.3, 26 and 42 fold, respectively. Conversely, opportunistic pathogens Mucispirillum and Ruminococcus were reduced by approximately 2.6 and 26 fold, respectively, in ketamine group. Low levels of Lactobacillus and Turicibacter are associated with various disorders including depression and administration of certain species of Lactobacillus ameliorates depressive-like behavior in animal models. Hence, some of the antidepressant effects of ketamine might be mediated through its interaction with these gut bacteria. Additionally, high level of Ruminococcus is positively associated with the severity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and some species of Mucispirillum have been associated with intestinal inflammation. Indirect evidence of anti-inflammatory role of Sarcina has been documented. Hence, some of the anti-inflammatory effects of ketamine and its usefulness in specific inflammatory diseases including IBS may be mediated through its interaction with these latter bacteria. Conclusion Our data suggest that at least some of the antidepressant and anti-inflammatory effects of daily ketamine treatment for 7 days may be mediated via its interaction with specific gut bacteria. These findings further validate the usefulness of microbiome as a target for therapeutic intervention and call for more detailed investigation of microbiome interaction with central mediators of mood and/or inflammatory disorders.