Original Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Apr 7, 2010; 16(13): 1622-1630
Published online Apr 7, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i13.1622
Therapeutic effect of Streptococcus thermophilus CRL 1190-fermented milk on chronic gastritis
Cecilia Rodríguez, Marta Medici, Fernanda Mozzi, Graciela Font de Valdez
Cecilia Rodríguez, Marta Medici, Fernanda Mozzi, Graciela Font de Valdez, Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos (CERELA)-CONICET, Chacabuco 145, San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
Graciela Font de Valdez, Cátedra Microbiología Superior, Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Ayacucho 491, San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
Author contributions: Rodríguez C, Medici M, Mozzi F and Font de Valdez G were involved in the design of the study; Rodríguez C and Medici M performed the laboratory assays; Rodríguez C, Mozzi F and Font de Valdez G were involved in the writing of the article.
Supported by CONICET, ANPCyT (project BID 1728 OC/AR PICTR 20801) and CIUNT, Argentina
Correspondence to: Graciela Font de Valdez, Professor, Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos (CERELA)-CONICET, Chacabuco 145, San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina. gfont@cerela.org.ar
Telephone: +54-381-4310465 Fax: +54-381-4005600
Received: November 3, 2009
Revised: November 13, 2009
Accepted: November 20, 2009
Published online: April 7, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the potential therapeutic effect of exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing Streptococcus thermophilus (S. thermophilus) CRL 1190 fermented milk on chronic gastritis in Balb/c mice.

METHODS: Balb/c mice were fed with the fermented milk for 7 d after inducing gastritis with acetyl-salicylic acid (ASA, 400 mg/kg body weight per day for 10 d). Omeprazole was included in this study as a positive therapeutic control. The gastric inflammatory activity was evaluated from gastric histology and inflammation score, number of interleukin-10 (IL-10), interferon-γ (INFγ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) cytokine-producing cells in the gastric mucosa, and thickness of the mucus layer.

RESULTS: Animals receiving treatment with the EPS-producing S. thermophilus CRL 1190 fermented milk showed a conserved gastric mucosa structure similar to that of healthy animals. Inflammation scores of the fermented milk-treated mice were lower than those of mice in the gastritis group (0.2 ± 0.03 vs 2.0 ± 0.6, P < 0.05). A marked decrease in INFγ+ (15 ± 1.0 vs 28 ± 1.2, P < 0.05) and TNF-α+ (16 ± 3.0 vs 33 ± 3.0, P < 0.05) cells and an increase in IL-10+ (28 ± 1.5 vs 14 ± 1.3, P < 0.05) cells compared to the gastritis group, was observed. Also, an increase in the thickness of the mucus gel layer (2.2 ± 0.6 vs 1.0 ± 0.3; 5.1 ± 0.8 vs 1.5 ± 0.4 in the corpus and antrum mucosa, respectively, P < 0.05) compared with the gastritis group was noted. A milk suspension of the purified EPS from S. thermophilus CRL1190 was also effective as therapy for gastritis.

CONCLUSION: This study suggests that fermented milk with S. thermophilus CRL 1190 and/or its EPS could be used in novel functional foods as an alternative natural therapy for chronic gastritis induced by ASA.

Keywords: Lactic acid bacteria; Probiotics; Gastritis; Streptococcus thermophilus; Exopolysaccharides