Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus Attenuates Cisplatin-Induced Intestinal Mucositis in Mice via Modulating the Gut Microbiota and Improving Intestinal Inflammation

Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LBS) is well documented probiotic strain in oncology and has a pivotal role in clinical applications. Here we investigated the Intervention effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus on intestinal mucositis induced by cisplatin (CP). BALB/c mice were pre-treated with or without LBS via oral gavage, followed by induction of mucositis with cisplatin. Our results revealed that LBS-treated groups significantly attenuated proinflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) compared to the CP group. Furthermore, LBS mitigated the damaged tight junction integrity caused by CP via up-regulating levels of Claudin, Occludin, ZO-1, and Mucin-2 protein (MUC-2). Finally, the 16S rRNA fecal microbiome genomic analysis showed that LBS administration enhances the growth of beneficial bacteria, i.e., Firmicutes, and Lachnospiraceae , while the relative abundance of the opportunistic bacteria Bacteroides and proteobacteria decreased. Collectively, LBS found to beneficially modulate microbial composition structure and functions and enrichment the ecological diversity in the gut.