Acute
diverticulitis disease is associated with
inflammation and
infection in the
colon diverticula and may lead to severe morbidity. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the protective effects of
amoxicillin antibiotic, either alone or in combination with probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis), in a rat model of acute
diverticulitis disease. Acute
diverticulitis was induced, in albino rats, by adding 3% weight/volume of
dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to the rats'
drinking water; daily for 7 days, in addition to injecting
lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
enema (4 mg/kg). The impact of treatments was assessed by measuring the physiological and immunological parameters and evaluating colon macroscopic and microscopic lesions. The results showed that both treatments (especially probiotics with
amoxicillin) alleviated the adverse effects of DSS and LPS. This was obvious through the modulation of the rats'
body weight and the colon weight-to-length ratio. Also, there was a significant (p < 0.001) decrease in the colon macroscopic lesion score. The pro-inflammatory
cytokines [(TNF)-α, (IL)-1β, (IFN)-γ, and (IL)-18]; in the colon tissue; were significantly (p < 0.001) decreased. Also, both treatments significantly ameliorated the elevation of
myeloperoxidase activity and
C-reactive protein levels, in addition to improving the histopathological alterations in the colon tissue. In conclusion,
amoxicillin and probiotics-
amoxicillin were effective in preventing the development of experimentally induced acute
diverticulitis, through their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. Furthermore, this study has explored the role of probiotics in preventing DSS/LPS-induced acute
diverticulitis, so it can be applied as a promising treatment option for acute
diverticulitis disease.