3L, three-Lactobacilli on recovering of microbiome and immune-damage by cyclophosphamide chemotherapy —A pilot experiment in rats—

Abstract

Purpose We examined the impact of using a probiotic containing three different Lactobacilli (3L) on the gut microbiome of rats following cyclophosphamide (CTX) treatment. CTX corresponded to chemotherapy which is used for human cancer treatment and known to have adversive effects on the immune system. Methods We conducted our experiment with ten rats in five different experimental groups which included control, CTX treated, and then low, medium, and high probiotic treatment with CTX treatment. Of these ten rats in each group, we sequenced the stool of three of them using both ITS and 16S sequencing. We then went on to examine the taxonomic composition of these samples to determine whether probiotic treatment helped the rat’s microbiome return to similar structure as the control rats. Results We used Illumina MiSeq sequencing to generate sequencing data from microbial genomic DNA libraries, which is useful for testing the effects of 3L on bacteria and fungi. Microbiome analysis, phylogenetic and classification reports, and community data have all backed up the experiments and findings that 3L had a significant positive impact on the microbiome. Furthermore, the effect on specific metabolic pathways aids in deriving the study’s conclusion (use of 3L in chemotherapy) to the mode of action, mechanistically by correcting microbiota composition and enhancing specific gut metabolic functions. Conclusions Through experimental results using an in vivo model, we suggested the role of novel natural probiotics 3L, 3 Lactobacilli in the establishment of a strong and sustainable beneficial healthy gut flora, after CTX chemotherapy. We suggested some new adjuvants to chemotherapy as drugs + lactobacillus treament using the rat CTX model (immunosuppression caused by cyclophosphamide). Furthermore, in numerous studies that reported the use of probiotics involving Lactobacillus in post-chemo or post-surgical procedures, we proposed a new probiotic formulation (L. acidophilus + L. casei + L. plantarum) to be further studied and explored in the prevention of health condition loss by alteration of the general immune system.