Rat with pancreatitis benefits from probiotics
Research done on experimental animals has shown that probiotics work. For a number of years, a study has been underway at UMC Utrecht in both patients and experimental animals into probiotics as a way to protect against infection in pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is usually the result of gallstones or excessive alcohol use. If infected with intestinal bacteria, the inflammation can become very serious. When these bacteria become too numerous as a result of reduced peristalsis in the intestine, for example, they leave their own territory and go nosing around in other organs. This is made even easier if the intestine is perforated as a result of pancreatitis. It is possible that probiotics can prevent the colonization of other organs. These good and useful bacteria might help to inhibit the overgrowth of bad bacteria and keep them in their place.
The initial results of the study in patients are expected in about a year and a half; the results of the experimental animal study will be published soon. Research physician Paul van Minnen of the Department of Surgery: “We gave six probiotic strains – lactic acid bacteria – to rats with an experimental form of pancreatitis. Although we still have to further work out its effect on the function of the intestinal wall, the probiotics are good at keeping down the overgrowth and out-of-control immune responses to escaped bacteria. As a result, far fewer rats die from the pancreatitis. So it looks very good, and gives hope for future research on probiotics.”