Basic Research
Copyright ©2006 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2006; 12(37): 5987-5994
Published online Oct 7, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i37.5987
Effects of probiotic bacteria on gastrointestinal motility in guinea-pig isolated tissue
Matteo Massi, Pierfranco Ioan, Roberta Budriesi, Alberto Chiarini, Beatrice Vitali, Karen M Lammers, Paolo Gionchetti, Massimo Campieri, Anthony Lembo, Patrizia Brigidi
Matteo Massi, Pierfranco Ioan, Roberta Budriesi, Alberto Chiarini, Beatrice Vitali, Patrizia Brigidi, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Karen M Lammers, Paolo Gionchetti, Massimo Campieri, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Anthony Lembo, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastro-enterology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Correspondence to: Patrizia Brigidi, Department of Pharma-ceutical Sciences, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy. patrizia.brigidi@unibo.it
Telephone: +39-51-2099743 Fax: +39-51-2099734
Received: July 30, 2005
Revised: August 20, 2005
Accepted: November 10, 2005
Published online: October 7, 2006
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the intestinal motility changes evoked by 8 bacterial strains belonging to Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Streptococcus genera within the probiotic preparation VSL#3.

METHODS: Ileum and proximal colon segments isolated from guinea-pigs were used as a study model. Entire cells and cell fractions (cell debris, cell wall fraction, cytoplasmatic fraction, proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous cytoplasmatic components) of VSL#3 strains and, as controls, Escherichia coli, Salmonella aboni and Bacillus licheniformis were tested in this in vitro model.

RESULTS: Among the bacterial cell fractions tested, only the cytoplasmatic fraction modified intestinal motility. Lactobacillus strains stimulated the contraction of ileum segment, whereas all probiotic strains tested induced proximal colon relaxation response. The non-proteinaceous cytoplasmatic components were responsible for the colon relaxation.

CONCLUSION: The results obtained in this study suggest that the proximal colon relaxation activity showed by the probiotic bacteria could be one of the possible mechanisms of action by which probiotics exert their positive effects in regulating intestinal motility.

Keywords: Probiotics; Intestinal motility; Guinea-pigs; Ileum; Colon