Abstract

Purpose: The effects of Lactobacillus fermentation extract (LFE) on cystitis induced by Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the mouse bladder were investigated by pathological analyses and measurement of the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-18 (IL-18).
Materials and Methods: LFE was administered orally (5 µg/L) to mice for 10 days after which the study group (n=12) received transurethral injection of 5 µg/L LPS. The bladder tissue was then harvested after 24 hours and subjected to hematoxylin and eosin staining. A semi-quantitative score was used to evaluate inflammation (bladder inflammation index, BII). TNF-α immunohistochemical staining and multiplex cytokine assays were also performed. TNF-α and IL-18 levels were determined. The results were compared with those of the control group (n=12).
Results: The BII in the control and study groups was 2.7±0.5 and 1.1±0.7, respectively, with the control group scores differing significantly from the study group scores (p<0.001). TNF-α immunohistochemical staining results were similar. The TNF-α levels determined by the multiplex cytokine assay were 2.82±1.35 pg/mg and 1.55±0.56 pg/mg for the control and study groups, respectively, and the difference between these groups was statistically significant (p=0.007).
Conclusions: Oral administration of LFE appears to have a preventive effect against the inflammatory responses and TNF-α expression induced by transurethral instillation of LPS in the mouse bladder. Further studies are required to determine the clinical application of this finding.

• Keywords: Cystitis; <;i>;Lactobacillus<;/i>;; Oral medicine