Effects of probiotic supplementation on systemic and intestinal oxidant-antioxidant events in splenectomized rats.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to show the effects of probiotic supplementation on systemic and intestinal oxidant-antioxidant events in splenectomized rats. METHODS: Male rats were divided into control (group 1) and splenectomized (group 2) groups, and after splenectomy, some rats were given Lactobacillus delbruckii subsp. bulgaricus (highest amount of extracellular polysaccharides, 211 mg/l) for 7 days (group 3) or were given the treatment for 7 days before and 7 days after splenectomy (group 4). The plasma and small intestine tissue thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), sulfhydryl group, glutathione, ascorbic acid, and nitric oxide metabolites (NO x ) levels were determined by a spectrophotometer. RESULTS: We found increased TBARS levels in both the plasma and small intestine in the splenectomized rats compared to controls. L. delbruckii subsp. bulgaricus supplementation decreased the TBARS levels in the plasma in the splenectomized rats. In this study, the plasma TBARS and NO x levels were decreased by L. delbruckii subsp. bulgaricus supplementation after or both after and before splenectomy (groups 3 and 4). CONCLUSIONS: Together, these data suggest that. L. delbruckii subsp. bulgaricus supplementation is beneficial for decreasing lipid peroxidation and enhancing the antioxidant capacity of systemic and intestinal tissue in splenectomized rats.