The influence of probiotics on bacterial translocation
Journal Title: Αρχεία Ελληνικής Ιατρικής - Year 2002, Vol 19, Issue 6
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Probiotics are non-pathogenic microorganisms which, upon ingestion, exert a beneficial effect by maintaining the intestinal microfloral balance and the integrity of the host. They modify the microflora ecology of the gut, prevent adhesion of pathogenic bacteria, enhance the production of antimicrobial substances and stimulate the host immune defense. Since commensal flora and mucosal barrier comprise the principal structures responsible for bacterial translocation, this study was designed to investigate whether Lactobacillus reuteri would be effective in reducing bacterial translocation in Zymosan-induced non-septic peritonitis in the rat, by means of increasing enteric mucosal microcirculation and adherent mucus gel thickness. METHOD Eighty male Wistar rats received either L. reuteri (107 CFU/day) or placebo for 5 days in drinking water. On day 5, half the rats of each group were subjected to intraperitoneal (IP) injection of Zymosan (500 mg/kg body weight) for induction of non-septic peritonitis, while the remaining received IP normal saline. Enteric mucosal microcirculation and adherent mucus gel thickness were assessed 18 hours later and the mesenteric lymph nodes were processed under aseptic conditions for evaluation of bacterial translocation. RESULTS Enteric mucosal microcirculation and adherent mucus gel thickness exhibited a significant reduction in the Zymosan-induced peritonitis groups of rats, whether pretreated or not by L. reuteri. However, the reduction was statistically not so prominent in the probiotics-pretreated rats and this group of rats exhibited a statistically significantly less amount of translocated bacteria in relation to the placebo-treated Zymosan group. CONCLUSIONS In this Zymosan-induced peritonitis model, L. reuteri pretreatment seems to enhance enteric mucosal barrier strength by means of increasing enteric mucosal microcirculation and adherent mucus gel thickness and thus reducing bacterial translocation.
Authors and Affiliations
G. METAXAS, K. KOTZAMPASSI, D. PARAMYTHIOTIS, A. ZATAGIAS, E. ELEFTHERIADIS
Keywords
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