title: Lactobacillus casei strain GG reverses increased intestinal permeability induced by cow milk in suckling rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lactobacilli constitute a major part of the microflora throughout the gastrointestinal tract. This study aimed to investigate the effect of lactobacilli on the gut mucosal barrier.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rat pups were divided into three experimental feeding groups at the age of 14 days. In addition to normal maternal milk, group "milk" received a daily gavage of cow milk, group "milk-GG" received Lactobacillus casei strain GG with cow milk, and controls were gavaged with the same volume of water. At 21 days, the absorption of horseradish peroxidase across patch-free jejunal segments and segments containing Peyer's patches was studied in Ussing chambers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean absorption of intact horseradish peroxidase expressed in ng.h-1.cm-2, was significantly different in the study groups in both patch-free segments (controls, 9 [95% confidence interval, 7-12]; milk, 72 [60-87]; and milk-GG, 15 [4-52]) and in segments containing Peyer's patches (controls, 3 [1-17]; milk, 80 [43-151]; and milk-GG, 15 [4-56]). There was a significant increase in the frequency of cells secreting antibodies to beta-lactoglobulin (enzyme-linked immunospot assay) in the milk-GG group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prolonged cow milk challenge in suckling rats increases gut permeability to intact proteins, whereas Lactobacillus GG counteracts this permeability disorder. The results suggest a link between the intensity of the antigen-specific immune response and stabilization of the mucosal barrier.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Isolauri
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Majamaa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arvola
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rantala
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arvilommi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D000941:Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D005260:Female; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000502:physiology; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007780:Lacticaseibacillus casei / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000502:physiology*; D010539:Permeability; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase