title: Preservation of intestinal integrity during radiotherapy using live Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures.
abstract: Twenty-four female patients suffering from gynaecological malignancies and scheduled for internal and external irradiation of the pelvic area (pelvic dose 5000 cGy) were selected for a study on prevention of intestinal side-effects by live Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures. The patients were randomised into two groups. Both groups received dietary counselling recommending a low-fat and low-residue diet during radiotherapy. The control group received dietary counselling only. The test group received 150 ml of a fermented milk test product supplying them with at least 2 X 10(9) live Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria daily and 6.5% lactulose as substrate for the bacteria. The results indicated that the test product appeared to prevent radiotherapy-associated diarrhoea. However, flatulence was increased probably due to lactulose ingestion in the test group.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D007779:Lactobacillus acidophilus; D008875:Middle Aged; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*