Published online Apr 26, 2020. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i8.1361
Peer-review started: December 30, 2019
First decision: February 19, 2020
Revised: March 27, 2020
Accepted: April 8, 2020
Article in press: April 8, 2020
Published online: April 26, 2020
Probiotics are known as “live microorganisms” and have been proven to have a health effect on hosts at the proper dose. Recently, a kind of probiotic mixture including eight live bacterial strains, VSL#3, has attracted considerable attention for its combined effect. VSL#3 is the only probiotic considered as a kind of medical food; it mainly participates in the regulation of the intestinal barrier function, including improving tight junction protein function, balancing intestinal microbial composition, regulating immune-related cytokine expression and so on. The objective of this review is to discuss the treatment action and mechanism for the administration of VSL#3 in chronic diseases of animals and humans (including children). We found that VSL#3 has a therapeutic or preventive effect in various systemic diseases per a large number of studies, including digestive systemic diseases (gastrointestinal diseases and hepatic diseases), obesity and diabetes, allergic diseases, nervous systemic diseases, atherosclerosis, bone diseases, and female reproductive systemic diseases.
Core tip: The imbalance of intestinal microbiota is one of the important factors in multiple diseases. Probiotics have a benefit on human health as live microorganisms that can positively regulate the intestinal microbial composition. One probiotic mixture consisting of eight live bacterial strains, VSL#3, plays an essential function in preventing and treating digestive systemic and other systemic diseases in animals and humans. There is increasing evidence that VSL#3 works by modulating intestinal barrier function. It is able to improve tight junction protein function and the composition of intestinal microbiota and regulate immune-related cytokine expression. This review seeks to provide an overview of the role of VSL#3 in various kinds of diseases and its potential for clinical use in the future.