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Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage
Published on: January 27, 2019
Probiotics: sorting the evidence from the myths.
Mimi Pham1, Daniel A Lemberg, Andrew S Day
1Department of Gastroenterology, Sydney Children's Hospital, and School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
The Medical Journal of Australia
|March 4, 2008
Summary
Probiotics, including specific strains like Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii, are effective for treating infectious diarrhea and preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. They also show promise for traveler's diarrhea and certain inflammatory conditions.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
Background:
- Probiotics are live microorganisms, primarily bacteria (like lactic acid bacteria) or yeast, available in various forms.
- Strain-specific properties influence probiotic efficacy, including resistance to digestive conditions and colonization ability.
- Probiotics offer diverse health benefits to the host, impacting the gastrointestinal tract and beyond.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence supporting the use of probiotics for various gastrointestinal conditions.
- To highlight specific probiotic strains and their efficacy in different clinical scenarios.
- To assess the safety profile and potential contraindications of probiotic use.
Main Methods:
- Evidence synthesis based on clinical trials and systematic reviews.
- Focus on Level I and Level II evidence for probiotic efficacy.
- Identification of specific probiotic strains and their documented benefits.
Main Results:
- Level I evidence supports probiotics for acute infectious diarrhea and antibiotic-associated diarrhea prevention, with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii being well-supported.
- Saccharomyces boulardii shows promise in preventing recurrent Clostridium difficile diarrhea when combined with vancomycin (Level II evidence).
- Probiotics are effective in preventing traveler's diarrhea (Level I evidence) and pouchitis (Level I evidence for VSL#3), with some evidence for ulcerative colitis relapse prevention (Level II evidence for VSL#3).
Conclusions:
- Probiotics demonstrate significant clinical efficacy in managing and preventing several gastrointestinal disorders.
- Specific strains like Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Saccharomyces boulardii, and VSL#3 have robust evidence supporting their use.
- While generally safe, potential risks like fungemia and bacteremia exist in immunocompromised individuals, necessitating careful consideration.
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