If you have pet mice suffering from colitis, the probiotic Bacillus Polyfermenticus can help them recover from it according to a 2009 study(ref).  “Mice treated with B. polyfermenticus during the non-inflammatory period of the disease had reduced rectal bleeding, their tissues were less inflamed and they gained more weight than mice that did not receive the treatment.”  This and other probiotics are likely to offer similar and additional benefits to us humans. 

“The study occurred in two phases, one involving live mice with colitis and another that looked at human intestinal cells in a test tube. The mouse study showed that B. polyfermenticus facilitated the recovery of mice from colitis. The mice showed reduced rectal bleeding, less inflamed tissue and they gained more weight than the mice that did not receive B. polyfermenticus. The study also found that the colon tissue of the treated mice had greater angiogenesis, a process that is necessary for wounds to heal. — The test tube study allowed an in-depth look at what happens at the cellular level when human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells are exposed to B. polyfermenticus. This phase found that the probiotic treatment encouraged several steps that are part of the angiogenic process, including the migration of cells and the formation of new blood vessels. — The test tube studies also uncovered how this happens. The researchers found that B. polyfermenticus increases the production of Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a substance that enhances angiogenesis. The study also found that IL-8’s receptor, CXCR2, and a cellular pathway, known as NF-κB, play a critical role in the angiogenic process(ref).”

The 2009 research report Bacillus polyfermenticus ameliorates colonic inflammation by promoting cytoprotective effects in colitic mice concludes “Treating colonic epithelial cells with B. polyfermenticus-conditioned medium (BPCM) enhanced cell proliferation and induced the phosphoinositide 3-kinases/Akt signaling pathway, suggesting that this bacterium can promote epithelial cell proliferation. BPCM also promoted the migration of colonic epithelial cells. These data suggest that B. polyfermenticus ameliorates colonic inflammation by suppressing apoptosis and promoting epithelial cell proliferation and migration.”

Other current research as well as prior research studies also support potential health benefits of bacillus polyfermenticus.  The 2009 report The anti-cancer effect of probiotic Bacillus polyfermenticus on human colon cancer cells is mediated through ErbB2 and ErbB3 inhibition concludes “These results show that B.P. inhibits tumor growth and its anti-cancer activity occurs, at least in part, through suppressing ErbB2 and ErbB3. Taken together, our study suggests that this probiotic may be clinically used as a prophylactic treatment to prevent colon cancer development.”

The 2007 research report A Probiotic Strain of Bacillus polyfermenticus Reduces DMH Induced Precancerous Lesions in F344 Male Rat  states “In this study, we have assessed the effects of B. polyfermenticus on the antioxidant system and the process of colon carcinogenesis in male F344 rats. — These data indicate that B. polyfermenticus exerts a protective effect on the antioxidant system and the process of colon carcinogenesis, thereby suppressing the development of preneoplastic lesions.”

The 2006  report Dietary Supplementation of Probiotic Bacillus polyfermenticus, Bispan Strain, Modulates Natural Killer Cell and T Cell Subset Populations and Immunoglobulin G Levels in Human Subjects concludes “This study suggests that the supplementation of B. polyfermenticus has a potentially positive effect on immune function by enhancing IgG production as well as by modulating the number of immune cell population such as CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and NK cells.”

Other research reports indicating benefits of probiotics include M1198 Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG Prevents Radiation Induced-Small Intestinal Injury in a MyD88 Independent, But COX2 Dependent Manner, M1199 Counterbalancing Dysbiosis in Crohn’s Disease: Faecalibacterium Prausnitzii, a Major Commensal Bacterium, Exhibits In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Inflammatory Effects,   and M1200 Probiotic E. coli (Symbioflor®2) Treatment Mediates Antimicrobial β-Defensin (HBD-2) Synthesis and Fecal Excretion in Humans.

Here is where I have to admit a slip-up.  For nearly two years now my personal supplement regimen has included a morning multi-strain probiotic capsule.  However, somehow I have not included that supplement in my anti-aging firewalls Supplement Regimen.  I will add it in when I do my next update of the treatise, probably within 24 hours. Based on the above-cited research I am also looking for probiotic capsules which contain B. polyfermenticus, a microbe that appears not to be included in most mainline commercial US probiotic products.