Background: Gastric ulcer treatment with chemical drugs is associated with a multitude of side effect. One of the most important groups of probiotics is lactic acid bacteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the healing effects of Lactobacillus pentosus on gastric ulcer induced by acetic acid.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 45 male Wistar rats were divided into experimental, control 1, and control 2 groups. After one day of fasting, the rats were operated and gastric ulcer was induced by acetic acid. One day after surgery, the groups were treated with the 1010 cfu/day bacteria, dissolved in one ml of milk sterilizer, 1 ml of milk sterilizer, and 1 ml of normal saline, respectively, via gavage. On days 1, 4, 7, 10, and 14 after the induction of gastric ulcer, the animals were killed and the wound size (mm2) and the effect of the bacteria on the healing of wounds were measured for each rat.

Results: The treatment with Lactobacillus pentosus strains significantly decreased wound size in the experimental group compared with control groups. Significant increases in the number of neutrophils, macrophages, fibroblasts, significant decreases in the number of neutrophils, macrophages, and increased numbers of fibroblasts were observed in the experimental group compared to the control groups. Also, significant reductions in the number of neutrophils, macrophages, and fibroblasts were seen in the experimental group compared with the other two groups.

Conclusion: Lactobacillus pentosus has healing effects on gastric ulcer induced by acetic acid.

Background: Genital tract infections are one of the main causes of frequent referrals to gynecological clinics. Vulvovaginal candidiasis is the second common infectious vaginitis. On the other hand, probiotics are microorganisms that can have beneficial effects on the host. Noticing the limited number of studies reporting new treatments for this disease, the present study was designed to compare the effects of the combination of fluconazole and oral protexin and fluconazole on the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Materials and Methods: A double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 90 women who were referred to the 12-e-Bahman Clinic in 2011. The patients were randomly classified into "combination of fluconazole and oral protexin" or "fluconazole and placebo" groups. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (t-test, Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and McNemar’s test).

Results: The combinations, fluconazole-oral protexin and fluconazole-placebo, were equally effective in reduction of complaints and symptoms however, the effect of fluconazole-oral protexin on dysuria was more (p=0.02). Also, the fluconazole-oral protexin combination elicited a better therapeutic response (p=0.01). In addition, fluconazole-oral protexin combination treatment demonstrated a better recovery time (p=0.04).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that complementary treatment with probiotic lactobacillus increased the efficacy of fluconazole in treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis. Further research, however, is suggested.

Background: Obesity, the most common health problem, can result in the incidence of many chronic diseases. genetic and environmental factors can affect its incidence. Differences in the population of gut microbiota in lean and obese subjects and interaction between them, has led to a field of investigation about the effects of intestinal microbiota in the obesity occurrence. In the other hand, the use of functional foods has been shown positive effects in the prevention of obesity. This study was aimed to assess the differences between gut microbiota in obese and normal people, their roles in energy homeostasis and the mechanisms of probiotics and prebiotics in the management of obesity.

Materials and Methods: All articles indexed in the valid scientific data bases published between 2000 And 2014 were Searched and reviewed using probiotics, prebiotics, obesity and gut microbiota as key words and results were examined.

Results: A group of gut microbiota facilitates energy extraction from the diet that results in fat storage in adipose tissues. bacteroidetes as a residing bacterial in the gut is in fewer amount, inversely, firmicutes as another residing bacterial is in higher amount in obese people, and it changed in lean individuals, inversely. Differences in the extraction of energy in subjects were attributed to differences in the composition in gut microbiota. archaea ‌species that resident in the gut involved in energy homeostasis through increasing the ability of fermentation, electron production and removing the energy. In addition to, the probiotic and prebiotic supplements have roles in the prevention of obesity via stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria, production of short chain fatty acids, modulating the secretion of hormones involved in energy homeostasis.

Conclusion: Further studies are needed to identify the specific probiotic bacteria and other effective functional foods in management of obesity.

  Background: The prevalence of constipation in childhood is 0.7% to 29.6%. Inorganic causes are considered as the most common cause of constipation in children. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is the most effective and safest laxatives which is usable in children in the long-term. This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the effect of PEG treatment and probiotic bacilluscoagulans and bifidobacterium and probiotic to enhance the growth of probiotics.

  Materials and Methods: In this double blind clinical trial study(interventional study), 120 children aged 2-16 years with chronic functional constipation enrolled the study based on ROME III criteria. The bowels became empty by using liquid paraffin. Then, children were randomly divided into three groups of polyethylene glycol+placebo and Probiotics+placebo and polyethylene glycol+probiotics recipients. After 6 weeks of treatment, treatment success rates between the three groups were compared before and after the study Data analyzed by SPSS 20 software.

  Results: The results of the study conducted on the three groups for treatment of constipation showed that the effect of polyethylene glycol and probiotic on treatment was considerable before and after treatment but the levels of effect was similar in the comparison of groups. The simultaneous use of two drugs was more effective than a single drug.

Conclusion: Overall, the results of our study showed that concurrent use of polyethylene glycol and probiotics is much more effective in the treatment of constipation.

Background: Constipation is a functional gastrointestinal disorder and the use of probiotics is considered as a new solution in prevention and treatment of constipation. The aim of this study is to review the clinical evidence about probiotics effects in the prevention and treatment of constipation.

Materials and Methods: To review the accessible evidence about efficacy of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of constipation, the search of key words such as constipation, probiotic and yoghurt are conducted in databases Pubmed, Medlinplus and Cochran from 1980-2013 and of 49 articles about constipation, 16 yandomized controlled clinical trial articles and 3 pre-test and post-test randomized trials that investigated the effects of probiotics on constipation were included in this study.

Results: Probiotics produced lactic acid and fatty acids with short chains that decrease the colon pH and stimulate muscular contractions and intestinal peristalsis. Some of probiotics can increase the mucous discharge and change linked bile salts to free bile salts entering much water to colon and leads to soft defecation.

Conclusion: Considering studies, daily use of probiotics such as lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria lactic 10⁵-10¹¹ CFU/gr for at least 1-2 weeks can help to decrease constipation.

Background: Metabolic syndrome, a concurrence of overweight and abdominal fat distribution, disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism, mild dyslipidemia and hypertension is among the most important issues that man deals with, in today's world. Probiotics are live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, can confer a health benefit on the host. The aim of the present study was to review the clinical evidence available regarding the role of probiotics in improvement of disorders associated with metabolic syndrome.

Materials and Methods: In this research, clinical trials performed between 2000-2014 were searched in two databases, Pubmed and ScienceDirect. In both databases “Probiotics”, “metabolic syndrome” and each of its elements were used as the key words.

Results: Probiotics may reduce body weight through manipulating the gut flora. Through reducing inflammation and immune-regulation, probiotics decrease insulin resistance. They also improve lipid profile through reducing cholesterol absorption and producing short chain fatty acids, as well as deconjugating bile acids and converting cholesterol to coprostanol. Moreover, probiotics have been suggested to have a hypotensive effect through release of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides, through proteolytic action. 

Conclusion: Although some clinical trials have failed to obtain beneficial effects of probiotics on metabolic syndrome related situations, a majority of the studies have shown positive results for these microorganisms in this regard. Thus, probiotics can be looked upon as a novel approach when either prevention or alleviation of metabolic syndrome is aimed.

Abstract

Background: Probiotics are known as a factor for prevention of infectious diseases such as urinary tract infection(UTI). The present study aimed to investigate the positive effects of probiotics on urinery truct infection of cateterized intensive care unit patients.

Materials and Methods: In a triple blind clinical trial, 125 cateterized intensive care unit patients were randomly selected and divided into two groups, Treatment group (n = 63) was well matched with placebo group (n = 62) for age and sex and duration of admission .Case group received one lactocare capsule for 10 days and control group with a same method received placebo for 10 days. In both groups urine analysis and urine culture were measured with a same method at the first day and then twentieth day and finally data were analysed with t-test.

Results: The incidence of urinary tract infection between treatment and control group (respectively 17.4% and 22.5%) had no statistically significant difference (p=0.672). But, in terms of sex, incidence of urinary tract infections in women compared to men with the same condition was significantly different(p=0.002). In treatment group with long term cathetrization, urinary tract infections significantly were significantly different(p=0.041).

Conclusion: Administration of lactocare capsule has no statistically significant impact on the incidence of urinery truct infection of cateterized intensive care unit patients. In comparsion of cateterized men and women receiving probiotics, the reduction of urinary tract infection in women was more than in men. Probiotics had preventive effects on long term catheterization.