Probiotics prevent bacterial translocation and improve intestinal barrier function in rats following chronic psychological stress

Mehri Zareie ¹, Kathene C Johnson-Henry ¹, Jennifer Jury ², Ping-Chang Yang ², Bo-Yee Ngan ¹, Derek M McKay ², Johan D Soderholm ³, Mary H Perdue ² and Philip M Sherman ^1*

¹ The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
² McMaster University, Canada
³ University Hospital, Sweden

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sherman{at}sickkids.ca.

Accepted 16 March 2006

Abstract

Chronic psychological stress, including water avoidance stress (WAS), induces intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction and impairs mucosal defenses against luminal bacteria. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of a defined probiotic regimen to prevent WAS- induced intestinal pathophysiology. Male rats were submitted to either WAS or sham stress for 1 h/day on 10 consecutive days. Additional animals received 7 days of Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. rhamnosus in the drinking water prior to stress and remained on these probiotics for the duration of the study. Rats were then sacrificed, intestinal segments assessed in Ussing chambers, and mesenteric lymph nodes cultured to determine bacterial translocation. All animals remained healthy for the duration of the study. Chronic WAS induced excess ion secretion (elevated baseline short- circuit current) and barrier dysfunction (increased conductance) in both the ileum and colon, associated with increased bacterial adhesion and penetration into surface epithelial cells. Approximately 70% of rats subjected to WAS had bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes, while there was no bacterial translocation in controls. Probiotic pretreatment alone had no effect on intestinal barrier function. However, WAS-induced increased ileal short circuit current was reduced with probiotics, whereas there was no impact on altered conductance. Pretreatment of animals with probiotics also completely abrogated WAS-induced bacterial adhesion and prevented translocation of bacteria to mesenteric lymph nodes. These findings indicate that probiotics can prevent chronic stress-induced intestinal abnormalities and, thereby, exert beneficial effects in the intestinal tract.

Keywords: bacterial translocation, epithelial barrier, probiotics, stress

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