Use of probiotics for prevention of radiation-induced diarrhea.

Probiotics can be applied in therapy and mainly in prevention of many civilization disorders. Experimental studies in animal models and clinical trials of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have consistently shown that the use of probiotic organisms may effectively down-modulate the severity of intestinal inflammation by altering the composition and metabolic and functional properties of indigenous flora of the gut. Previous studies showed a protective effect of probiotic administration after radiation therapy, and probiotic may play an important role in the pathogenesis of radiation enteropathy. These studies indicate that probiotics may decrease the risk of accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in host organisms and could potentially be used as probiotic food supplements to reduce oxidative stress (Tab. 2, Ref. 47). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.