Reviewer's report
Title:The protective effect of VSL#3 on intestinal permeability in a rat model of
alcoholic liver disease
Version: 1Date:29 August 2013
Reviewer: Svenja Sydor
Reviewer's report:
Reviewer’s comment
The manuscript of Chang et al. concerns with the effect of the probiotic mixture
VSL#3 on the intestinal permeability in a rat model of alcoholic liver disease. The
authors discovered that VSL#3 treatment regulates the ecological balance of the
gut microflora and prevents the passage of endotoxins and bacterial products
from the gut to portal circulation. Furthermore VSL#3-administration was
associated with reduced expression of the pro-inflammatory mediator TNF#.
Comments:
1. As mentioned in 2.3 the instruction for “Tachypleus Amebocyte Lysate assay”
and measurement of ALT and AST should be depicted more in detail.
2. It is adequate to show only two positions after decimal point. Values should be
changed within the text and the graphs (figures 2, 3, 4, 6,8).
3. Significant changes between groups should be indicated by e. g. asterisk or
p-values within the graphs.
4. The legend of the y-axis in figures 4, 6 and 8 should be labeled in a different
manner. Instead of “the expression of…” it could be changed to e. g.
“expression-level of…”, “expression (alt and ast)”, “% vs. control” or “foldchange”.
5. The differences between figures 6 and 8 must be emphasized within the
figure, e. g. within the axis (mRNA-expression/PCR or
protein-expression/western blot). It seems as if figures 6 and 8 are the same.
6. The paragraph describing results of tight junction expression (3.1.4) does not
represent the described figures. It is written:”In the glutamine (…), VSL#3 (…),
and heat-killed VSL#3 (…) groups the expression of tight junction proteins was
significantly lower than in alcohol group…” The figures show that tight junction
expression was lower in alcohol group than in glutamine, VSL#3 and heat-killed
VSL#3 groups. Please change this phrasing and change accordingly.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:The protective effect of VSL#3 on intestinal permeability in a rat model of
alcoholic liver disease
Version: 1Date:29 August 2013
Reviewer: Svenja Sydor
Reviewer's report:
Reviewer’s comment
The manuscript of Chang et al. concerns with the effect of the probiotic mixture
VSL#3 on the intestinal permeability in a rat model of alcoholic liver disease. The
authors discovered that VSL#3 treatment regulates the ecological balance of the
gut microflora and prevents the passage of endotoxins and bacterial products
from the gut to portal circulation. Furthermore VSL#3-administration was
associated with reduced expression of the pro-inflammatory mediator TNF#.
Comments:
1. As mentioned in 2.3 the instruction for “Tachypleus Amebocyte Lysate assay”
and measurement of ALT and AST should be depicted more in detail.
2. It is adequate to show only two positions after decimal point. Values should be
changed within the text and the graphs (figures 2, 3, 4, 6,8).
3. Significant changes between groups should be indicated by e. g. asterisk or
p-values within the graphs.
4. The legend of the y-axis in figures 4, 6 and 8 should be labeled in a different
manner. Instead of “the expression of…” it could be changed to e. g.
“expression-level of…”, “expression (alt and ast)”, “% vs. control” or “foldchange”.
5. The differences between figures 6 and 8 must be emphasized within the
figure, e. g. within the axis (mRNA-expression/PCR or
protein-expression/western blot). It seems as if figures 6 and 8 are the same.
6. The paragraph describing results of tight junction expression (3.1.4) does not
represent the described figures. It is written:”In the glutamine (…), VSL#3 (…),
and heat-killed VSL#3 (…) groups the expression of tight junction proteins was
significantly lower than in alcohol group…” The figures show that tight junction
expression was lower in alcohol group than in glutamine, VSL#3 and heat-killed
VSL#3 groups. Please change this phrasing and change accordingly.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:The protective effect of VSL#3 on intestinal permeability in a rat model of
alcoholic liver disease
Version: 1Date:29 August 2013
Reviewer: Svenja Sydor
Reviewer's report:
Reviewer’s comment
The manuscript of Chang et al. concerns with the effect of the probiotic mixture
VSL#3 on the intestinal permeability in a rat model of alcoholic liver disease. The
authors discovered that VSL#3 treatment regulates the ecological balance of the
gut microflora and prevents the passage of endotoxins and bacterial products
from the gut to portal circulation. Furthermore VSL#3-administration was
associated with reduced expression of the pro-inflammatory mediator TNF#.
Comments:
1. As mentioned in 2.3 the instruction for “Tachypleus Amebocyte Lysate assay”
and measurement of ALT and AST should be depicted more in detail.
2. It is adequate to show only two positions after decimal point. Values should be
changed within the text and the graphs (figures 2, 3, 4, 6,8).
3. Significant changes between groups should be indicated by e. g. asterisk or
p-values within the graphs.
4. The legend of the y-axis in figures 4, 6 and 8 should be labeled in a different
manner. Instead of “the expression of…” it could be changed to e. g.
“expression-level of…”, “expression (alt and ast)”, “% vs. control” or “foldchange”.
5. The differences between figures 6 and 8 must be emphasized within the
figure, e. g. within the axis (mRNA-expression/PCR or
protein-expression/western blot). It seems as if figures 6 and 8 are the same.
6. The paragraph describing results of tight junction expression (3.1.4) does not
represent the described figures. It is written:”In the glutamine (…), VSL#3 (…),
and heat-killed VSL#3 (…) groups the expression of tight junction proteins was
significantly lower than in alcohol group…” The figures show that tight junction
expression was lower in alcohol group than in glutamine, VSL#3 and heat-killed
VSL#3 groups. Please change this phrasing and change accordingly.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
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