FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2009
Contact: Donna Krupa
Office: (301) 634-7253
commoff@the-aps.org
Probiotic Found to Be Effective Treatment
for Colitis In Mice
Bacteria promote new blood vessel growth in intestinal cells
 BETHESDA, Md. (Oct. 26, 2009) — The probiotic,
Bacillus polyfermenticus, can help mice recover from colitis, a new
study has found. Mice treated with B. polyfermenticus during the
non-inflammatory period of the disease had reduced rectal bleeding, their
tissues were less inflamed and they gained more weight than mice that did
not receive the treatment.
Colitis is a disease in which the inner tissue of the
colon, the mucosa, becomes inflamed and damaged and can result in painful
sores. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the two major types of
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). It is not yet known what causes the
diseases, but both are believed to be the result of altered intestinal
immune responses in genetically predisposed individuals.
A probiotic is a live microorganism -- in this case, a
bacterium -- that benefits its host. B. polyfermenticus is available
in Japan and Korea to treat intestinal disorders such as diarrhea and
constipation. The bacterium is quite hardy and can survive the hostile
environment of the stomach and intestine.
The study not only provided evidence of B.
polyfermenticus’ usefulness in treating colitis during the
non-inflammatory phase, but also showed that it works by healing intestinal
wounds more quickly by encouraging the growth of new blood vessels, a
process known as angiogenesis.
The study, “The angiogenic effect of probiotic
Bacillus polyfermenticus on human intestinal microvascular endothelial
cells is mediated by IL-8,” appears in the online edition of the American
Journal of Physiology – Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. The
authors are Eunok Im, Yoon Jeong Choi, Cho Hee Kim, Charalabos Pothoulakis
and Sang Hoon Rhee, all of the David Geffen School of Medicine, University
of California at Los Angeles and Claudio Fiocchi, of the Cleveland Clinic
Foundation Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland. The American
Physiological Society (www.the-aps.org)
published the research.
Study with live mice and human cells
The study occurred in two phases, one involving live
mice with colitis and another that looked at human intestinal cells in a
test tube. The mouse study showed that B. polyfermenticus facilitated
the recovery of mice from colitis. The mice showed reduced rectal bleeding,
less inflamed tissue and they gained more weight than the mice that did not
receive B. polyfermenticus. The study also found that the colon
tissue of the treated mice had greater angiogenesis, a process that is
necessary for wounds to heal.
The test tube study allowed an in-depth look at what
happens at the cellular level when human intestinal microvascular
endothelial cells are exposed to B. polyfermenticus. This phase found
that the probiotic treatment encouraged several steps that are part of the
angiogenic process, including the migration of cells and the formation of
new blood vessels.
The test tube studies also uncovered how this happens.
The researchers found that B. polyfermenticus increases the
production of Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a substance that enhances angiogenesis.
The study also found that IL-8’s receptor, CXCR2, and a cellular pathway,
known as NF-κB, play a critical role in the angiogenic process.
Role of Angiogenesis
Ironically, the researchers noted that angiogenesis
plays a part in causing inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s
disease and ulcerative colitis. Studies have shown that decreasing
angiogenesis can alleviate symptoms of these diseases and promote healing
during a flare up. However, this study suggests that once the flare up
subsides, angiogenesis is necessary for proper healing to occur.
“Our findings suggest that the probiotic bacterium,
when applied at the healing phase of experimental inflammatory bowel
disease, increased angiogenesis and thus enhanced wound healing and
facilitated recovery of mice from colitis,” Dr. Rhee said. “Angiogenesis is
essential for both inflammation and wound healing, and therefore it is
important to apply angiogenic therapy when there is a requirement for wound
healing and anti-angiogenic therapy when there is active inflammation,” he
said. Further studies are necessary before it is known whether these results
can be applied to humans.
Editor’s Notes: To arrange an interview with Dr.
Rhee, please contact Donna Krupa (301) 634-7253 or at
commoff@the-aps.org.
To read the full study click
here or cut and paste the following link into your web browser:
http://ajpgi.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/00204.2009v1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=Rhee%2C+S&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT,
or contact Donna Krupa.
Funding: Binex Co. Ltd., Flight Attendant Medical
Research Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.
Physiology
is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function to create
health or disease. The American Physiological Society (APS) has been an
integral part of this scientific discovery process since it was established
in 1887.
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