A probiotic strain of Bacillus polyfermenticus reduces DMH induced precancerous lesions in F344 male rat.

Bacillus polyfermenticus has been used in an effective treatment for long-term intestinal disorders, as live strains in the form of active endospores have been shown to reach the target intestine successfully. In this study, we have assessed the effects of B. polyfermenticus on the antioxidant system and the process of colon carcinogenesis in male F344 rats. The rats were divided into three groups after a 1-week adaptation period, and were then fed on either a high-fat and low-fiber diet (control and DMH groups), or a high-fat and low-fiber diet supplemented with B. polyfermenticus (3.1x10(8) cfu/d) (DMH+B. polyfermenticus group). One week after beginning the diets, the rats were subjected to 6 weeks of treatment with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH, 30 mg/kg/week, s.c.). The dietary treatments continued over the entirety of the experimental period. Nine weeks after the initial DMH injection, the rats supplemented with B. polyfermenticus evidenced significantly lower numbers of aberrant crypt foci than were observed in the DMH group. Injections with DMH resulted in significantly higher leukocytic DNA damage and plasma lipid peroxidation levels, as well as a lower plasma total antioxidant potential, and these factors recovered as the result of supplementation with B. polyfermenticus. These data indicate that B. polyfermenticus exerts a protective effect on the antioxidant system and the process of colon carcinogenesis, thereby suppressing the development of preneoplastic lesions.