Investigators, study coordinators,

and subjects were blinded to treatment assignment. After initiating the study drug, subjects were Sirolimus cost asked to maintain a daily diary to record details regarding medication compliance, geographic location, and number of loose stools, symptoms, and daily eating habits. Subjects were asked to grade their symptoms (Appendix, Table A1). The study coordinator contacted the patient within 7 days of their return from the trip to monitor for toxicity, study outcomes, and reminded subjects to submit a fresh stool sample within 5–7 days of the last study dose. Adverse event (AE) monitoring was done via the daily diary and the final phone interview. An AE was defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a study subject exposed to AKSB or placebo. An AE could be any unfavorable and unintended effect (including an abnormal laboratory finding), symptom,

or disease temporally associated with the use of AKSB or placebo. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were defined as those that were life-threatening, resulted in hospitalizations of >24-hour duration, or were disabling or resulted in death. All AEs were assessed whether they were possibly, probably, or definitely related to the study drug or not related at all. All SAEs were to be reported to the IRB within 24 hours and all other AEs were summarized in annual reports to the IRB. Unused capsules AZD5363 price from subjects on AKSB were returned to Agri-King, Inc. for probiotic viability studies. Subjects

received a $50 honorarium for the inconvenience of participating in the study. All subjects were asked to submit a fresh stool specimen in a Para-Pak culture pheromone and sensitivity vial within 5–7 days of returning home from their trip. The specimens were submitted for culture of enteric pathogens (Campylobacter species, Salmonella, Shigella, Aeromonas, and Yersinia), enterotoxigenic E coli toxin assay, and ova and parasite examination at the Mayo Clinic Microbiology Laboratory. The fecal specimen was inoculated onto selective media designed to inhibit growth of normal bowel flora while allowing growth of the enteric pathogens. The following media were used: sheep blood agar, Hektoen enteric agar, eosin-methylene blue agar, Campylobacter agar, cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar, and the enrichment broth, selenite F. Suspect colonies were identified using conventional biochemical and serologic methods. These tests were performed per standards set by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Returned capsules were analyzed for AKSB organisms’ post-travel viability (Analab Laboratories, Fulton, IL, USA). The primary endpoint was the development of diarrhea. Assuming that the frequency of TD is 25% in those receiving placebo, 348 volunteers (174 placebo and 174 AKSB) were required to have an 85% power to detect a 50% reduction in the frequency of TD for the AKSB group (based on a comparison of 25% vs 12.5%, using a two-sided, α = 0.05 level test).