title: The protective effect of VSL#3 on intestinal permeability in a rat model of alcoholic intestinal injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of the probiotic VSL#3 in acute alcoholic intestinal injury, and evaluate the effect of VSL#3, glutamine,VSL#3+glutamine and heat-killed VSL#3 therapy in a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six- to eight-week-old male wild-type rats were divided into seven groups. To establish the acute alcohol liver disease model, rats received three doses of corn starch dissolved in PBS/40% alcohol administered intra-gastrically every 12 hours. Treatment groups received an intra-gastric dose of VSL#3, Glutamine, heat-killed VSL#3, or VSL#3+Glutamine 30 minutes prior to alcohol administration. The placebo group was treated with PBS prior to alcohol administration. TNFα and endotoxin in plasma was measured by ELISA and Tachypleus Ameboctye Lysate assays, and electron microscopy, Western blotting, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to identify the mechanisms of VSL#3 in the regulation of epithelial permeability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  First, compared with control group, endotoxin and TNFα in alcohol group was obviously high. At the same time, in VSL#3 group,the expression of endotoxin and TNFα obviously lower than the alcohol group. And the trends of the expression of tight junction proteins in these groups were reversed with the change of endotoxin and TNFα. Second, compared the groups of VSL#3 with glutamine,VSL#3+glutamine and heat-killed VSL#3,we found that both VSL#3 and heat-killed VSL#3, glutamine were as effective as VSL#3+glutamine in the treatment of acute alcohol liver disease, the expression of endotoxin and TNFα were lower than the alcohol group, and tight junction proteins were higher than the alcohol group whereas the expression of tight junction proteins were higher in VSL#3 + glutamine group than either agent alone, but have no significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that VSL#3 treatment can regulate the ecological balance of the gut microflora, preventing passage of endotoxin and other bacterial products from the gut lumen into the portal circulation and down-regulating the expression of TNFα, which could otherwise down-regulate the expression of tight junction proteins and increase epithelial permeability.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Lixuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Dai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, 110001 Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. wby000216@163.com.
authors.forename: Bingyuan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001644:Bifidobacterium; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000506:poisoning*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood; D000431:Ethanol / Q000506:poisoning*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries; D007778:Lactobacillus; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D062793:Occludin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D048249:Streptococcus thermophilus; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D004731:Endotoxins; D062793:Occludin; C568987:Ocln protein, rat; C569044:Tjp1 protein, rat; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; D005973:Glutamine; D000431:Ethanol