The protective effect of a probiotic mixture of 13 different bacteria and alpha-tocopherol on 98 ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury was evaluated. Levels of gastric mucosal pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, malondialdehyde, and secretory immunglobulin A were measured. Rats were allocated into four groups: control, ethanol, probiotic, and alpha-tocopherol. The control and ethanol groups received skim milk for 14 days. Probiotic and alpha-tocopherol groups were administered probiotic mixture suspended in skim milk and 100 mg/kg alpha-tocopherol, respectively, by daily gavage for 14 days. On Day 15, gastric lesions were induced by administration of ethanol 98 (1 mL) to all rats except those in the control group. Probiotic, but not alpha-tocopherol, seemed to inhibit ethanol-induced gastric mucosal tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, and interleukin-2 production (P > .05). Ethanol caused the elevation of mucosal interleukin-4 level (compared to the control, P < .05). Probiotic pretreatment significantly suppressed the ethanol-induced increase of gastric mucosal interleukin-4 levels. Pretreatment with either probiotic or alpha-tocopherol inhibited the ethanol-induced increase of mucosal malondialdehyde concentration (P < .01 and P < .05, respectively). Probiotic pretreatment enhanced the gastric mucosal secretory immunoglobulin A concentration (P < .001). In conclusion, probiotic mixture and alpha-tocopherol reduced ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lipid peroxidation, suggesting that they may be beneficial for gastric lesions induced by lower ethanol concentration.
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