Abstract: Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ( LGG) against Cronobacter-induced
meningitis in neonatal rats. Methods The cell adhesion and invasion capacities of Cronobacter were assayed in Caco-2 cells,
and the optimal time length and concentration of the bacterium for infection were determined. The suppressive effects of LGG
on the adhesion and invasion of Cronobacter in caco-2 cells were tested by competitive and exclusion experiments, and its
inhibitory effect against Cronobacter-induced meningitis was evaluated in neonatal rats. Results Cronobacter showed aggressive
adhesion to caco-2 cells with an optimal infection time of 3 h. LGG produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of
Cronobacter adhesion and invasion by competing with and excluding the latter for cell adhesion. In neonatal rats, LGG showed
an obvious preventive effect and also a moderate therapeutic effect against Cronobacter-induced meningitis. Conclusion LGG
can inhibit Cronobacter entry across the intestinal barrier to achieve preventive and therapeutic effects against
Cronobacter-induced meningitis.