The three mechanisms of action of th eprobiotic Saccharomyces boulardi

In response to 1000 nanomoles of spermine, enzyme stimulation was proportionally greater with increases in sucrase ( 4,6) and maltase (+ 70%) activities. Similarly, weaned rats treated with either S. boulardii or equivalent quantities of spermine (500 nanomoles) presented parallel, significant increases in specific sucrase (157%) and maltase (+ 47,5%) activities. Therefore, oral administration of 100 mg lyophilised S. boulardii containing 679 nanomoles of polyamines to breast fed sucklings reproduced similar changes in microvillous enzymes than the administration of 500 nanomoles of spermine. Regarding the stimulation of microvillous enzymes, the oral administration of spermine is a dose - dependent phenomenon. It is more sensitive for sucrase than for other microvillous enzymes (lactase, aminopeptidase, maltase-glucoamylase) and becomes detectable at doses of spermine as low as 250 nanomoles/day. After absorption, polyamines act at the level of DNA synthesis, mRNA expression and protein production. Lastly, recent experiments indicate that S. boulardii inhibits the signal transduction triggered by E. coli on in vitro intestinal cell lines, essentially interleukin 8 ad NF-kB (13).