Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

Background: Recently, using probiotics for preventing and treating the immune system diseases via increasing the absorption of protective factors has attracted the attention of researchers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus plantarum 299v and Bifidobacteria B94, on serum Fe +² and vitamin D3 levels following ethidium bromide - induced demyelination of rat hippocampus.

Methods: In this study, 40 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups , including control, damaged with ethidium bromide, lactobacillus plantarum 299v, and bifidobacterium B94 treatment groups. In damage and treatment groups, a single dose of 3 μl ethidium bromide was directly injected for inducing demyelination in the hippocampus of rats. Also, in control group, the same amount of saline was used. After the induction of demyelination in treatment groups,1/5×10⁸ probiotic bacteria were administered by gavage for 28 days.

Results: Results showed increased levels of Fe +² in the treatment group with lactobacillus plantarum and that of vitamin D₃ in both treatment groups. The level of serum Fe +² in the treatment group with Bifidobacteria B94 decreased, although this increase and decrease were not significant.

Conclusion: Although the findings in this study were not significant, but, somehow were in agreement with the findings of previous studies that suggested effects of probiotics. Perhaps the reason for such result is a difference in the type, number and duration of probiotics use compared with other studies.