Zhao_2015_Mol.Med.Rep_12_3191

In the present study, the therapeutic effects of Lactobacillus casei Qian (LCQian), the key microorganism in Tibetan yak yoghurt, on activated carboninduced constipation were determined in vivo. ICR mice were treated with LCQian for nine days by oral administration. The body weight, defecation status, gastrointestinal transit and defecation time of mice were assessed, and the serum levels of motilin (MTL), gastrin (Gas), endothelin (ET), somatostatin (SS), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), substance P (SP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were further evaluated. Bisacodyl was used as the positive control. The time until the first black stool defecation following carbon intake of the normal, control, 100 mg/kg bisacodyltreated, Lactobacillus bulgaricus (LB)treated, LCQian (L) and LCQian (H)treated mice was 93, 231, 121, 194, 172 and 157 min, respectively. Following treatment with LCQian, the gastrointestinal transit was increased to 52.4% [LCQian (L)] and 65.8% [LCQian (H)], while that in the group treated with the common lactic acid bacteria of LB was 40.3%. The MTL, Gas, ET, AChE, SP and VIP serum levels were significantly increased and levels of SS were reduced in mice following LCQian treatment compared with those in the control mice (P<0.05). Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction indicated that LCQian raised the cKit, GDNF as well as SCF mRNA expression levels and reduced the TRPV1 and NOS expression levels in tissue of the small intestine in mice. These results suggested that lactic acid bacteria prevent constipation in mice, among which LCQian was the most effective.