WRT reference below. I'm going to update my reading for any potential benefits of probiotic organisms in exposures to more serious pathogens (Vibrio cholerae, Salm. typhus etc). I was a little put off by the European Union's dismissal of many probiotic claims recently (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8286646.stm). Now, I'm not so sure that the whole area should be dismissed so abruptly. There might be something in these probotics after all.

Probiotic bacteria induced improvement of the mucosal integrity of enterocyte-like Caco-2 cells after exposure to Salmonella enteritidis 857

Jos F.J.G. Koninkxa, Peter C.J. Tootena and Joshua J. Malagob

Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 2, Issue 3, July 2010, Pages 225-234

a Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, P.O. Box 80.158, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
b Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3203, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania

Abstract

Probiotics protect the intestinal epithelium. Whether their protection against Salmonella is mediated via stabilizing the barrier integrity was examined here. The intestinal barrier integrity was assessed by measuring the trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TER) of Caco-2 cell monolayer. Cells were exposed for 1 h to Lactobacillus casei W56, Lactobacillus salivarius W24, Lactobacillus acidophilus W70, Lactococcus lactis W58, Bifidobacterium infantis W52 or Bifidobacterium bifidum W23 at 200 bacteria/cell or to Salmonella enteritidis 857 at 1–200 bacteria/cell or to a combination of either of the probiotic and Salmonella both at 200 bacteria/cell. Heat shock protein (Hsp) 70 was assessed by Western blotting. Probiotics induced a significant increase while Salmonella decreased the TER. The latter was attenuated by probiotics but without full recovery. In addition, probiotics induced over-expression of Hsp70. It may be concluded that probiotics stabilise the intestinal integrity and impede Salmonella infection via, at least in part, production of Hsp70.