| Theme |
Unraveling of the Pathophysiology of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and Updated Treatments |
| Title |
Effect of Probiotics on IBS |
| Author |
Yasuhito Inoue |
Department of Internal Medicine, National Defence Medical College |
| Author |
Kenichi Yoshikawa |
Department of Internal Medicine, National Defence Medical College |
| Author |
Yoshikiyo Okada |
Department of Internal Medicine, National Defence Medical College |
| Author |
Chie Kurihara |
Department of Internal Medicine, National Defence Medical College |
| Author |
Soichiro Miura |
Department of Internal Medicine, National Defence Medical College |
| Author |
Ryota Hokari |
Department of Internal Medicine, National Defence Medical College |
| [ Summary ] |
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) causes abdominal pain and abnormal bowel movements triggered by brain‒gut interactions induced through stress. It had been considered that no inflammation occurs in the digestive tract ; however, recently, it has become evident that inflammation occurs in the intestinal mucosa, and that an intestinal microflora imbalance, which is caused by stress, can cause abnormal bowel movements and pain. Probiotics improve the intestinal microflora balance and therefore, would be expected to be useful for IBS treatment ; a meta‒analysis of randomized control studies demonstrated the usefulness of probiotics against abdominal pain and abnormal bowel movement. With regard the mechanism of action, improving the bacterial imbalance in the intestinal tract ameliorates intestinal inflammation and alleviates the symptoms. |