Fermented dairy products in the context of digestive cancer : the case of Propionibacterium freudenreichii, a cheese starter bacterium with pro-apoptotic properties

Background and objectives.[br/] Dairy propionibacteria are isolated from various ecological niches, including soil, grass, silage, rumen, raw milk and dairy plants, showing great adaptability and robustness. Used as ripening starters in Swiss type cheeses, these food grade bacteria are described as nutraceutical producers and they release into the external medium short chain fatty acids (SCFA), folic acid, cobalamin and the bifidogenic 1,4- dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (DHNA). These compounds are known to play a pivotal role in the modulation of intestinal physiology through diet. Considering the pro-apoptotic potential of some of these metabolites, we investigated the potential of dairy products fermented by the main species, Propionibacterium freudenreichii, to prevent colon carcinogenesis. Methods.[br/] We developed a new fermented milk. Taking advantage of milk fractions, high and stable populations of P. freudenreichii were obtained in this product. It was tested in vitro on gastric HGT-1 and colic HT-29 cells with respect to the typical hallmarks of apoptosis. In vivo, the fermented milk was evaluated in piglets with respect to general health parameters and in human microbiota-associated rats, treated or not with dimethylhydrazine (DMH), with respect to intestinal proliferation and apoptosis. Results. Fermented milk induced cell death in both gastric and colon cancer cells. Cellular and molecular characterization of cells dying in response to SCFA treatment revealed cell cycle arrest, drop in intracellular ATP, depolarization of mitochondria, translocation of key apoptosis proteins, processing of caspases and fragmentation of the nucleus. Interestingly, the new fermented milk was shown to potentiate the cytotoxic effect of molecules used in cancer chemotherapy. In accordance, it modulated expression of key apoptotic proteins. In vivo, the fermented milk was evaluated in piglets. Daily oral gavage led to high colic P. freudenreichii populations, to modulation of the intestinal microbiota and modulation of intestinal cytokines. Promotion of piglets’ growth also revealed general probiotic effects of fermented milk. Considering that propionibacteria were metabolically active in the intestine, we further investigated their impact on colon carcinogenesis (induced by dimethylhydrazine, DMH) in human microbiota-associated rats. Consumption of selected strains of propionibacteria resulted in enhanced apoptotic depletion of DMH damaged epithelial cells, yet had no effect on neither proliferation nor apoptosis in healthy rats. Conclusions and perspectives.[br/] These results open new perspectives in the field of colon cancer cells prevention and/or treatment. The synergy with pro-apoptotic chemotherapy molecules suggests that such a fermented product may be proposed as a food supplement to enhance the effects of anticancer treatments