# Interesting research



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Not entirely sure what it means yet, but interesting research. http://www.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/...201scie002.html ------------------I work with Mike and the audio 100 program. www.ibshealth.com www.ibsaudioprogram.com


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Forgot to mention it is medscape and you need to register but its free. This is also a technical abstract on gut bateria and genes.------------------I work with Mike and the audio 100 program. www.ibshealth.com www.ibsaudioprogram.com


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## Jackie (Sep 15, 2004)

It basically means that we are all most likely suffering from bowel infections!Jackie http://member.rivernet.com.au/bara/d_fragilis.htm


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

It does not mean this for IBSers, it doesn't even mention IBS. It is just research in the field of micro flora.Posts like that are misleading for sure and might actually hurt people with IBS.Jackie, you should say that people should be tested for infection. Most people are, and if they are not they should be, and they should ask their doctor to do a stool sample.------------------I work with Mike and the audio 100 program. www.ibshealth.com www.ibsaudioprogram.com


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Jackie,Every single person has microbes in their intestines. The ones they infected the mice with cause no damage, so it really isn't an infection in the clinical sense.Bacteria have been living inside mammals ever since there were mammals. After all, we're warm, we're moist, we're dark inside. Everything lots of the little critters like.What I think this research indicates is that to some degree we probably have become dependant on them and the modulation of genes is one of the ways. tice that most of the things the bacteria upregulated were things that were good for the host (increased absorption, better mucosal lining, kind of a I'll rub your back you rub mine) We give them a place to live and they mess with our genes in a way that makes us a happier healthier host.This fits in with the observation that mice raised germ free so they have no micobes in them anywhere, no good flora, no bad flora, are generally on the sickly side. One of the things that may come out of this is a better understanding of what probiotics will benefit us the most, and what if any interventions we should make in young kids to ensure they have the right kinds of bacteria.K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.And from the as if IBS isn't enough of a worry file...from New Scientist's Feedback column: photographed on the door of a ladies' loo in the Sequoia National Park in California by reader Liz Masterman: "Please keep door closed to discourage bears from entering."[This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 02-04-2001).]


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## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

> quote:It basically means that we are all most likely suffering from bowel infections!












> quote:were good for the host (increased absorption, better mucosal lining, kind of a I'll rub your back you rub mine)


This is a good point. The most important role of the colonic bacteria we know about is that provide nourishment for the colonic mucosa in the form of fatty acids (namely, acetic acid [vinegar], lactic acid, proprionic acid and buytric acid). Without this, the mucosa cannot function properly and diarrhea and inflammation results.


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## KateyKat (Jan 4, 2001)

K remarked:" ... that most of the things the bacteria upregulated were things that were good for the host (increased absorption, better mucosal lining, kind of a I'll rub your back you rub mine) We give them a place to live and they mess with our genes in a way that makes us a happier healthier host."Happily this reminds me of the words from Joannie Mitchell's 'Yellow Taxi' "Farmer, farmer put away that DDT,Give me scabs on my apples but leave me the birds and the bees ..."And look what happened - they found they had to breed/protect bees cos of their vital role in the food chain .. a fact that agri-industrialists hadn't properly thought through.Symbiosis, evolution and all that!Now researchers are gaining scientific insights into some things past generations held to be 'the truth'.Right get off me soapbox now KKat


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## jcaf (Feb 19, 2000)

If xenobiotic metabolism can be bad and Colonization with other than B. thetaiotaomicronproduces "variations in gene expression", then its possible that they arent always modulating in a good way. Isnt that what they are proposing?[This message has been edited by jcaf (edited 02-04-2001).]


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Well, the problem is when all you have is a data set of one organism, you may make some suggestions but you really can't make a whole lot of claims. Whether other organisms that typically inhabit the gut do bad things or good things is unknown. They seem to think that since they found one that does anything to the genes it makes sense to go look at the others to find out. At this point there is no reason to be certain that some bacteria must be doing bad things, although that isn't ruled out either. We don't know, but with what they have found so far they've got a good point about getting more funding. Once we find out if other organisms also do good thing, or do bad things, then and only then can we start making recommendations about what things we should promote in humans and which we should not. Remember mice with NO bacteria are MUCH more sickly than normal mice with normal flora, so it is probably more likely that on the whole they do us more good than they do bad.After all (warning biblical literalists, just stop reading here) we and they have been living with each other for a few million years now. Generally over time things that live commensually with other organisms evolve towards being mutally helpful. Diseases are usually something that colonized a particular species recently and hasn't learned how to play nice yet.K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.And from the as if IBS isn't enough of a worry file...from New Scientist's Feedback column: photographed on the door of a ladies' loo in the Sequoia National Park in California by reader Liz Masterman: "Please keep door closed to discourage bears from entering."


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## KateyKat (Jan 4, 2001)

K said:"After all we and they have been living with each other for a few million years now. Generally over time things that live commensually with other organisms evolve towards being mutally helpful. Diseases are usually something that colonized a particular species recently and hasn't learned how to play nice yet."Well said. And here's the explicit danger in killing em off .. with abx etc. etc.KKat


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