Probiotics Upregulate Trefoil Factors and Downregulate Pepsinogen in the Mouse Stomach

Abstract

Probiotics are used in the management of some gastrointestinal diseases. However, little is known about their effects on normal gastric epithelial biology. The aim of this study was to explore how the probiotic mixture VSL#3 affects gastric cell lineages in mice with a special focus on protective and aggressive factors. Weight-matching littermate male mice (n = 14) were divided into treated and control pairs. The treated mice received VSL#3 (5 mg/day/mouse) by gastric gavage for 10 days. Control mice received only the vehicle. Food consumption and bodyweight were monitored. All mice were injected intraperitoneally with bromodeoxyuridine (120 mg/Kg bodyweight) two hours before sacrificed to label S-phase cells. Stomach tissues were processed for lectin- and immunohistochemical examination. ImageJ software was used to quantify immunolabeled gastric epithelial cells. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to provide relative changes in expression of gastric cell lineages specific genes. Results revealed that treated mice acquired (i) increased production of mucus, trefoil factor (TFF) 1 and TFF2, (ii) decreased production of pepsinogen, and (iii) increased ghrelin-secreting cells. No significant changes were observed in bodyweight, food consumption, cell proliferation, or parietal cells. Therefore, VSL#3 administration amplifies specific cell types specialized in the protection of the gastric epithelium.

Nutrient‐sensing components of the mouse stomach and the gastric ghrelin cell

“…FIJI was used to manually count immunopositive cells from 159 µm × 159 µm areas in the glandular base of the stomach (ie, typical location of gastric ghrelin cells 65,66 ). FFAR4‐immunopositive cells of the apical surface of the glandular stomach were not counted due to the high density of overlapping cells.…”

“…FIJI was used to manually count immunopositive cells from 159 µm × 159 µm areas in the glandular base of the stomach (ie, typical location of gastric ghrelin cells 65,66 for each gastric region were obtained from the average of 5-6 sections.…”

Molecular Alterations in the Stomach of Tff1-Deficient Mice: Early Steps in Antral Carcinogenesis

“…A ROS/RNS scavenger function of Tff1 would also explain why certain probiotics have beneficial effects on their hosts. For example, the probiotic mixture VSL#3 has been shown to raise the production of Tff1 and Tff2 in mice [55].…”

Trefoil Factor Family Member 2 (TFF2) as an Inflammatory-Induced and Anti-Inflammatory Tissue Repair Factor

“…Interestingly, probiotics have been shown to increase the production of TFF2 in the mouse stomach [37]. Probiotics also have, in addition to roles in tissue repair [38], anti-inflammatory effects especially in the intestine [39], which is one of the key tissues of TFF2 expression.…”