Prevention of chronic experimental colitis induced by dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) in mice treated with FR91

J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012:2012:826178. doi: 10.1155/2012/826178. Epub 2012 Feb 12.

Abstract

One of the main treatments currently used in humans to fight cancer is chemotherapy. A huge number of compounds with antitumor activity are present in nature, and many of their derivatives are produced by microorganisms. However, the search for new drugs still represents a main objective for cancer therapy, due to drug toxicity and resistance to multiple chemotherapeutic drugs. In animal models, a short-time oral administration of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induces colitis, which exhibits several clinical and histological features similar to ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the pathogenic factors responsible for DSS-induced colitis and the subsequent colon cancer also remain unclear. We investigated the effect of FR91, a standardized lysate of microbial cells belonging to the Bacillus genus which has been previously shown to have significant immunomodulatory effects, against intestinal inflammation. Colitis was induced in mice during 5 weeks by oral administration 2% (DSS). Morphological changes in the colonic mucosa were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry methods. Adenocarcinoma and cryptal cells of the dysplastic epithelium showed cathenin-β, MLH1, APC, and p53 expression, together with increased production of IFN-γ. In our model, the optimal dose response was the 20% FR91 concentration, where no histological alterations or mild DSS-induced lesions were observed. These results indicate that FR91 may act as a chemopreventive agent against inflammation in mice DSS-induced colitis.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacillus / chemistry*
  • Colitis / chemically induced*
  • Colitis / pathology
  • Colitis / prevention & control*
  • Colon / chemistry
  • Colon / pathology
  • Complex Mixtures / pharmacology*
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Dextran Sulfate*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Interactions
  • Female
  • Histocytochemistry
  • Mice

Substances

  • Complex Mixtures
  • Cytokines
  • Dextran Sulfate