VSL#3 can prevent ulcerative colitis-associated carcinogenesis in mice

Table 1 Tumor formation rate and tumor load in each group

Group	n	Tumor formation rate (%)	Tumor load (cm)	P value (vs model group)
5-ASA	20	65.0 (13/20)	0.43 ± 0.14	0.0269
VSL#3	20	65.0 (13/20)	0.25 ± 0.07	0.0009
5-ASA + VSL#3	19	63.2 (12/19)	0.46 ± 0.11	0.0261
Model	19	100.0 (19/19)	0.97 ± 0.19	-
Control	10	0	0	-

Table 2 Level of tumor necrosis factor-α in colon tissue in each group

Group	n	TNF-α (pg/mg tissue)	P value (vs model group)
5-ASA	8	14.66 ± 0.72	< 0.05
VSL#3	8	25.89 ± 5.25	< 0.05
5-ASA + VSL#3	8	21.33 ± 4.55	< 0.05
Model	8	68.38 ± 18.73	-
Control	8	10.49 ± 0.30	< 0.01

TNF-α: Tumor necrosis factor.

Table 3 Level of interleukin-6 in colon tissue in each group

Group	n	IL-6 (pg/mg tissue)	P value (vs model group)
5-ASA	8	28.19 ± 6.80	< 0.0001
VSL#3	8	99.71 ± 31.14	< 0.0500
5-ASA+VSL#3	8	81.43 ± 26.98	< 0.0100
Model	8	254.20 ± 32.49	-
Control	8	25.47 ± 5.50	< 0.0001

IL-6: Interleukin 6.

Table 4 Comparison of fecal microbiota (abundance)

Genus	Control (%)	Model (%)	5-ASA (%)	VSL#3 (%)	5-ASA + VSL#3 (%)
Lactobacillus	4.77	3.261	2.65	4.06	9.864
Oscillibacter	0.64	1.301	0.542	0.523	0.794
Lachnoclostridium	0.45	1.191	0.482	0.393	1.08
Bacillus	1.01	0.98	24.002	23.343	0.66
Lactococcus	2.30	2.29	8.582	7.863	1.59

¹P < 0.05 between the model and control groups;

²P < 0.05 between the model and 5-ASA groups;

³P < 0.05 between the model and VSL#3 groups;

⁴P < 0.05 between the model and 5-ASA + VSL#3 groups.

Table 5 Comparison of mucosal microbiota (abundance)

Genus	Control (%)	Model (%)	5-ASA (%)	VSL#3 (%)	5-ASA + VSL#3 (%)
Alloprevotella	0.26	1.571	1.16	0.95	1.22
Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014	6.63	1.491	1.64	1.50	1.15
Bifidobacterium	3.45	0.241	0.19	3.342	1.903
Lachnoclostridium	0.24	0.40	2.05	0.25	2.033

¹P < 0.05 between the model and the control groups;

²P < 0.05 between the model and the VSL#3 groups;

³P < 0.05 between the model and the 5-ASA + VSL#3 groups.