Combined Synbiotics and Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Enhance Clinical and Histological Recovery in DSS-Induced...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
• Nutrition and Dietetics

Background:

• Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
• Gut microbiota alterations and dietary lipid composition are key factors in UC pathogenesis.
• Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in Wistar rats serves as a relevant preclinical model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the therapeutic effects of synbiotics, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Ω3), and their combination.
• To assess impacts on clinical, macroscopic, microbiological, and histopathological parameters in DSS-induced colitis.
• To determine the efficacy of combined synbiotic and Ω3 therapy versus individual treatments.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-two male Wistar rats were induced with colitis using 5% DSS.
• Post-induction, rats were treated with synbiotics (DSS-S), Ω3-enriched diet (DSS-Ω3), or combined therapy (DSS-S&Ω3) for 8 days.
• Outcomes assessed included body weight, Disease Activity Index (DAI), colon length, bacterial translocation, and histological scores (MPO-positive cells).

Main Results:

• Combined therapy (DSS-S&Ω3) showed the greatest body weight recovery and significant reduction in DAI.
• DSS-S&Ω3 treatment preserved distal colon length and significantly improved histological colitis scores.
• Both synbiotics and combined therapy reduced bacterial translocation; combined therapy also lowered MPO-positive cell counts.

Conclusions:

• Combined synbiotic and omega-3 fatty acid therapy demonstrated superior clinical and histological improvements in DSS-induced colitis.
• The findings support the potential of this combined approach as an adjunctive treatment for ulcerative colitis.
• Further clinical evaluation of synbiotics and omega-3 fatty acids in ulcerative colitis patients is warranted.