Intestinal bacteria: protection against inflammation

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MunichAround a hundred trillion bacteria live in our intestines. But they also give people something back for board and lodging: They help with digestion. But not only that, the tiny creatures also keep the intestinal wall intact, American researchers found. This knowledge, in turn, could benefit patients with intestinal inflammation.

A single layer of cells lines the human intestine: the so-called intestinal epithelium. This intestinal wall has a very important task: it protects the intestine from toxins that, for example, release pathogenic bacteria. But if the cells do not close tightly, the toxins penetrate the intestinal tissue - inflammation is the result.

Activated anti-inflammatory

The intestinal wall receives support from a completely unexpected source - that's what Dr. Sridhar Mani and his colleagues from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Yeshiva. They discovered a certain type of probiotic gut bacteria that stabilize the intestinal wall. The microorganisms give off a certain metabolic product (indole-3-propionic acid). And that prevents inflammation by activating a regulatory molecule: PXR. This suppresses inflammatory processes in the body.

The researchers have elucidated this molecular mechanism in mouse studies. The team around Dr. Mani is now developing probiotics to help treat intestinal inflammation. At some point they may also be used preventively - and not just against an obviously sick bowel. There is evidence that a damaged intestinal epithelium is associated with other diseases, such as diabetes, obesity or liver inflammation.

Abdominal pain and diarrhea

Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis cause abdominal pain and persistent diarrhea, often accompanied by fatigue. In the worst case scenario, life-threatening complications can occur. Neither disease is curable so far, which is why research is always on the lookout for new therapeutic options. (away)

Source: Mani S. et al .: Symbiotic Bacterial Metabolites Regulate Gastrointestinal Barrier Function via the Xenobiotic Sensor PXR and Toll-like Receptor 4. Immunity, 2014; DOI: 10.1016 / June 2014.06.014

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