Background: Pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease is thought to be through different factors and there is a relationship between the gut flora and the risk of its development. Probiotics can manipulate the microflora in chronic inflammation and may be effective in treating inflammation. Bifidobacterium are saccharolytic and their growth in the gut can be promoted by non-absorbable carbohydrates and its increase in the colon appears to be of benefit.

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The pathogenic mechanism of inflammatory bowel diseases is not fully understood but colonic microflora including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species may affect the induction of colonic inflammation. In this study the relative efficacy of different probiotic organisms in the prevention of colitis was compared in an induced rat colitis model. Three Lactobacillus strains and two Bifidobacterium strains were fed to Sprague-Dawley rats for 7 days prior to offering the rats 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in their drinking water to induce colitis and the administration of the probiotics continued for 7 days with the DSS. Colitis severity was assessed daily using a disease activity index (DAI). Samples were collected 7 days after colitis induction for intestinal bacterial flora and bacterial translocation. The DAI decreased significantly on days 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 9843, Bifidobacterium sp. 3B1, and Bifidobacterium infantis DSM 15158 groups compared to the colitis control. It decreased significantly on days 5, 6, and 7 in the Bifidobacterium infantis DSM 15158 group compared to the Lactobacillus paracaesi DSM 13434 and Lactobacillus gasseri 5B3 groups. It also decreased significantly on day 7 in the L. plantarum DSM 9843 group compared to the L. gasseri 5B3 group. Bacterial translocation to the mesenteric lymph nodes decreased significantly in all treatment groups compared to the colitis control. Enterobacteriaceae bacterial translocation to the liver decreased in all treatment groups compared to the colitis control. Administration of certain strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium significantly improves the DAI and reduces bacterial translocation, and L. plantarum DSM 9843, Bifidobacterium sp. 3B1, and Bifidobacterium infantis DSM 15158 seem to have the best effect.

We studied the anti-inflammatory properties of probiotic strains and blueberry in a colitis model. The disease activity index (DAI) was significantly lower on days 9 and 10 in all groups compared to the colitis control. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and bacterial translocation to the liver and to the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) decreased significantly in all groups compared to colitis control. Cecal Enterobacteriaceae count decreased significantly in blueberry with and without probiotics compared to the other groups. Lactobacillus plantarum reisolated from the cecal content in the presence of blueberry, contrary to Lactobacillus fermentum. Colonic MDA decreased significantly in all groups, except the L. fermentum group, compared to the colitis control. The cecal concentration of acetic, propionic, and butyricbutyric acid was significantly higher in the L. plantarum group, while the L. fermentum group yielded the highest concentration of lactic acid compared with all other groups. Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 15313, Lactobacillus fermentum 35D, and blueberry alone and in combination improve the DAI, reduce bacterial translocation, and reduce inflammation.

Background: Leucocyte recruitment and inflammation are key features of high dose radiation-induced tissue injury. The inflammatory response in the gut may be more pronounced following radiotherapy due to its high bacterial load in comparison to the response in other organs. We designed a model to enable us to study the effects of radiation on leucocyte-endothelium interactions and on intestinal microflora in the murine ileum. This model enables us to study specifically the local effects of radiation therapy.

Thylakoid membranes derived from green leaf chloroplasts affect appetite-regulating hormones, suppress food intake, reduce blood lipids and lead to a decreased body weight in animals and human subjects. Thylakoids also decrease the intestinal in vitro uptake of methyl-glucose in the rat. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary thylakoids on the gut microbiota composition, mainly the taxa of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, in rats fed either a thylakoid-enriched diet or a control diet for 10 d. At the same time, a glucose-tolerance test in the same rats was also performed. Food intake was significantly decreased in the thylakoid-fed rats compared with the control-fed rats over the 10-d study. An oral glucose tolerance test after 10 d of thylakoid- or control-food intake resulted in significantly reduced plasma insulin levels in the thylakoid-fed rats compared with the control-fed rats, while no difference was observed for blood glucose levels. Analysis of gut bacteria showed a significant increase of lactobacilli on the ileal mucosa, specifically Lactobacillus reuteri, in the rats fed the thylakoid diet compared with rats fed the control diet, while faecal lactobacilli decreased. No difference in bifidobacteria between the thylakoid and control groups was found. Analyses with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and principal component analysis of faeces demonstrated different microbial populations in the thylakoid- and control-fed animals. These findings indicate that thylakoids modulate the gut microbial composition, which might be important for the regulation of body weight and energy metabolism.

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