Bacillus subtilis SF106 and Bacillus clausii SF174 spores reduce the inflammation and modulate the gut microbiota in a colitis model.

Chronic intestinal inflammation is associated with strong alterations of the microbial composition of the gut. Probiotic treatments and microbiota-targeting approaches have been considered to reduce the inflammation, improve both gut barrier function as well as overall gastrointestinal health. Here, a murine model of experimental colitis was used to assess the beneficial health effects of Bacillus subtilis SF106 and Bacillus clausii (recently renamed Shouchella clausii) SF174, two spore-forming strains previously characterised in vitro as potential probiotics. Experimental colitis was induced in BALB/c mice by the oral administration of dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) and groups of animals treated with spores of either strain. Spores of both strains reduced the DSS-induced inflammation with spores of B. clausii SF174 more effective than B. subtilis SF106. Spores of both strains remodelled the mouse gut microbiota favouring the presence of beneficial microbes such as members of the Bacteroidetes and Akkermansia genera.

A pilot study to investigate if the mesenteric circumferential location of colon cancer affects survival when compared to the anti-mesenteric side.

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of death in the western world. The main datum that is employed to guide treatment and prognosis are related to the pathological stage and the genetics of the cancer. Recent electron-microscopic study of the colonic border has suggested a difference between the micro-anatomy of the mesenteric border11, compared to the anti-mesenteric. With colorectal cancer increasing in incidence, the more information that we can employ to guide and tailor patient centred management, the better. A pilot study to test the hypothesis that the circumferential location on the colonic wall, mesenteric or anti-mesenteric, has an impact on the mortality rate associated with right-sided colon cancer. All patients undergoing a right hemicolectomy for non-metastatic adenocarcinoma between 2010 and 2013 were included (155 patients in total). T and N stage were recorded. There was no statistical difference between the groups for age or sex. Survival rates were then calculated according to the location of the cancer and analysed using Kaplan-Meir survival calculations. 100 patients were included in the final analysis. 90 patients had cancer on the antimesenteric border. The T and N stage were not statistically different between the two groups. The mean all-cause survival was 44 months for the mesenteric group and 77 for the antimesenteric (P = 0.002). Disease free survival was 41 versus 60 months accordingly (P = 0.021). Mesenteric cancer appears to have a shorter survival time, and may be a good candidate for future prognostication and treatment algorithms. Interesting this survival difference is observed even with a lower average T stage in the mesenteric group. The histological recording of the circumferential location is a zero cost and easy metric to record.