Ameliorative effect of “intestinal–vaginal” probiotics on 5-fluorouracil-induced microbial dysbiosis in colorectal cancer

, 5-HT and SP), while also alleviating mucositis by downregulating the NF-κB pathway. Additionally, "intestinal-vaginal" probiotics outperformed the oral probiotic by increasing beneficial microbiota and reducing pathogenic bacteria. Notably, regarding vaginal side effects, "intestinal-vaginal" probiotics significantly inhibited the NF-κB inflammatory pathway and pro-apoptotic proteins, and improved vaginal dysbiosis compared to vaginal-only probiotics. These findings provide the first evidence of the significant potential of the "intestinal-vaginal" probiotics delivery approach as an adjunctive cancer therapy, which offers a novel perspective on the synergistic interactions between host microbiota communities.