A new strategy against endometriosis: Oral probiotic treatments

Abstract

Purpose: Endometriosis is a chronic, estrogen-dependent, benign disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. The benefit of nutritive complements on endometriosis-associated symptoms has been described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vivo the effect of probiotics on the development and pain due to endometriosis. Method: We used a mouse model of endometriosis orally treated with one (P1: Saccharomyces Boulardii) or two probiotics (P2: Saccharomyces Boulardii + Lactobacillus Acidophilus), during 4 or 12 weeks. We followed the lesions growth by ultrasonography, the pain suffered by the mice with behavioral and qRT-PCR tests and their immune status by FACS and ELISA techniques. Results: After 4 and 12 weeks of treatments, we observed that volume and size of the lesions were significantly lower. Clinically, heat sensitivity is decreased only by P1-treated at W4 while tactile sensitivity is higher in P2-treated mice. The levels of AOPP in the sera, reflect of the oxidation of proteins, is significantly reduced by all the treatments at W12. The serum levels of zonulin, a marker of the intestinal barrier permeability, and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly reduced by the P1 and the P2 treatments. Conclusion: Treatment with one or two probiotics, have different but both favorable effects on clinical, immune and physiologic parameters in endometriosis. Because of its better results on pain and a greater ease of handling, Saccharomyces boulardii seems to be more suited to be used as a new therapeutic strategy for endometriosis.