Protective effect of Saccharomyces boulardii against the cholera toxin in rats

The effect of orogastric administration of Saccharomyces boulardii on the anatomopathological aspect of the jejunal villi was studied in male Fischer rats (weighing about 40 g) orogastrically infected with a culture of Vibrio cholerae. Experimental and control groups received lyophilized S. boulardii (25 mg suspended in 0.5 ml saline) or 0.5 ml saline, respectively, three times a day for 10 days by gastric intubation. On day 5 of treatment, 0.5 ml of a culture of V. cholerae containing 10(8) viable cells was inoculated by gastric intubation into both groups. Histopathological examination of the jejunal mucosa showed extensive lesions of the superficial epithelium of the villi from the control group whereas few lesions of this superficial epithelium were observed in the experimental group. These data show that the inhibition of the action of the cholera toxin on enterocytes by S. boulardii suggested by recent results in vitro can be demonstrated in vivo

Octreotide (SMS 201-995) as an antisecretory agent in cholera toxin & bile acid induced intestinal secretion in an in vivo animal study.

The effect of Octreotide (SMS 201-995), synthetic somatostatin analogue on small intestinal and colonic fluid secretion induced respectively by cholera toxin (CT) and deoxycholic acid (DCA) was investigated in rabbits using in vivo isolated loops. After exposure to CT and DCA, marked fluid accumulation was observed in the small intestinal and colonic loops, along with elevation of jejunal and colonic mucosal cyclic AMP concentrations. Octreotide inhibited CT and DCA induced small intestinal and colonic secretion, dose-dependently. This anti-secretory effect was observed after both intramuscular and oral administration of octreotide. In contrast, octreotide did not affect the elevated mucosal cyclic AMP concentrations. These results suggest that octreotide inhibits CT and DCA induced intestinal secretion, and this anti-secretory effect is produced by affecting processes beyond cyclic AMP formation.