FIGURE 4.

Lyophilized probiotic formulations can decrease intestinal permeability in mice with 5-FU-induced mucositis. Intestinal permeability was measured 72 h after mucositis induction by determining Technetium-99 m radioactivity (99mTc-DTPA) in mouse blood. The animals were gavage with: PBS pH 7.4 (Naive group and 5-FU inflamed control group); 12% skimmed milk supplemented with 30% WPI and Fructooligosaccharide (Matrix); a formulation containing L. casei BL23, a formulation containing the mix of probiotics (Symbiotic). Means and standard deviations were calculated from an independent experiment for each of the 9 animals per group. Asterisks represent statistically significant differences between the strains and were indicated as follows: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001 and ****p < 0.0001.