INHIBITION OF THE ACCUMULATION OF UREMIC TOXINS IN THE BLOOD AND THEIR PRECURSORS IN THE FECES AFTER ORAL-ADMINISTRATION OF LEBININ(R), A LACTIC-ACID BACTERIA PREPARATION, TO UREMIC PATIENTS UNDERGOING HEMODIALYSIS

The plasma levels of phenol, p-cresol, and indican are markedly increa sed in uremic patients, and cannot be efficiently reduced by hemodialy sis. Such uremic toxins, which are produced in the intestine as bacter ial putrefactive metabolites, accumulate to a great degree in the fece s of hemodialysis patients. Oral administration of Lebenin(R), a prepa ration consisting of antibiotic-resistant lactic acid bacteria, reduce d the levels of fecal putrefactive metabolites to levers comparable wi th those of healthy subjects. Moreover, the plasma level of indican al so significantly decreased in these Lebenin-treated patients. An analy sis of the fecal microflora revealed that a disturbed composition of t he microflora characterized by an overgrowth of aerobic bacteria is re stored to normal by oral administration of Lebenin in hemodialysis pat ients. These results thus demonstate that oral administration of lacti c acid bacteria in uremic patients is effective in reducing the levels of uremic toxins, especially that of indican, in the blood by inhibit ing bacterial production by means of correcting the intestinal microfl ora.