Saccharomyces boulardii upgrades cellular adaptation after proximal enterectomy in rats

Background-Saccharomyces boulardii is a non-pathogenic yeast which exerts trophic effects on human and rat small intestinal mucosa. Aims-To examine the effects of S boulardii on ileal adaptation after proximal enterectomy in rats. Methods-Wistar rats, aged eight weeks, underwent 60% proximal resection or transection and received by orogastric intubation either 1 mg/g body wt per day lyophilised S boulardii or the vehicle for seven days. The effects on ileal mucosal adaptation were assessed eight days after surgery. Results-Compared with transection, resection resulted in mucosal hyperplasia with significant decreases in the specific and total activities of sucrase, lactase, and maltase. Treatment of resected animals with S boulardii had no effect on mucosal hyperplasia but did upgrade disaccharidase activities to the levels of the transected group. Enzyme stimulation by S boulardii was associated with significant increases in diamine oxidase activity and mucosal polyamine concentrations. Likewise, sodium dependent D-glucose uptake by brush border membrane vesicles, measured as a function of time and glucose concentration in the incubation medium, was significantly (p<0.05) increased by 81% and three times respectively in the resected group treated with S boulardii. In agreement with this, expression of the sodium/glucose cotransporter-l in brush border membranes of resected rats treated with S boulardii was enhanced twofold compared with resected controls. Conclusion-Oral administration of S boulardii soon after proximal enterectomy improves functional adaptation of the remnant ileum.