Clinical Usage of Probiotics and Its Mechanism of Action |
Dong Soo Han, Joon Yong Park |
Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine College, Seoul, Korea
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정장제의 임상적 사용 범위와 작용기전의 연구 현황 |
한동수, 박준용 |
한양대학교 의과대학 내과학교실, 한림대학교 의과대학 내과학교실 |
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Abstract |
Probiotics has been prescribed for various medical purposes. The benefit of using probiotics has been clarified in antibiotics associated diarrhea, travelers' diarrhea, acute diarrhea, diarrhea in the pediatric field, functional diarrhea and some part of inflammatory bowel disease. However, the mechanism of action of probiotics is still in the investigation. Its functions of excreting bacterial products, adhesion to bowel wall, competition with other bacteria, and promoting mucin secretion from bowel mucosa have been discussed as the mechanism of action of probiotics. Recently the immune modulation of probiotics started to be regarded as the main part of its mechanism of action. Probiotics may produce its immune modulation by modifying the activation of Toll-like receptor: the main receptor of inducing innate immunity. (Intestinal Research 2004;2:5-10) |
Key Words:
Probiotics, Intestinal homeostasis, Diarrhea |
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