PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES

Digestive Health Summit – March 2005: Abstracts

The Microenvironment of the Colonic Cell and Bacterial Flora

Barry Goldin, PhD
Tufts University School of Medicine

A description will be given of the composition, distribution and development of the human intestinal bacterial flora. The two-way interaction of the intestinal flora with the colonic mucus layer, lumen epithelial cells and the gut associated lymphoid tissue will be discussed.

The effects of the intestinal microflora on epithelial lymphocytes and M cell antigen sampling and Peyer’s Patches will be presented. The function of the normal intestinal flora will be evaluated and the metabolic activities of the intestinal bacterial ecosystem will be discussed. The bacterial conversions of bile acids, amino acids, carbohydrates, various drugs, and androgens and estrogens will be briefly presented. The role of the intestinal flora in the health of the host with special emphasis on gastrointestinal disorders such as, constipation, diarrhea, food allergies, bacterial overgrowth and inflammatory bowel disease will be evaluated. Finally the beneficial health properties of probiotics and their interaction with the intestinal flora will be discussed.

References:
  1. Goldin BR. Microflora of the Intestine. In: Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition (2003). Pp 3904-3911. Elsevier Scientific Ltd., London, UK.
  2. Cash HL, Hooper LV. Commensal bacteria shape intestinal immune system development (2005). ASM News 71, 77-83.
  3. Deplancke B, Gaskens HR. Microbial modulation of innate defense: goblet cells and intestinal mucus layer (2001). Am. J Clin Nutr. 73s, 1131s-1141s.
  4. Lu Lei, Walker WA. Pathologic and physiologic interactions of bacteria with the gastrointestinal epithelium (2001). Am J Clin Nutr 73s, 1124s-1130s.
  5. Goldin BR. Health benefits of probiotics (1998). Br J of Nutr 80 suppl 2, S203-S207.
  6. Salminen S, Ouwehand AC, Isolauri E. Clinical applications of probiotic bacteria (1998). Int Dairy J. 8, 563-572.
  7. Goldin BR, Lichtenstein AH, Gorbach SL. Nutritional and metabolic roles of intestinal flora (1994). In: Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, eds ME Shils, JA Olson, M Shike. Pp 569-582. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, PA.


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