A A Nisaa, U Mageswary, X Pei, M N Kadir, C-E Oon, D Rajendran, J-J Tan, F F Roslan, S D Balasubramaniam, S Sany, E H E Ismail, A S Azizan, M-T Liong
{"title":"Probiotic enhanced immunity and mental wellbeing of generally healthy women: a randomised, placebo-controlled and double-blind study.","authors":"A A Nisaa, U Mageswary, X Pei, M N Kadir, C-E Oon, D Rajendran, J-J Tan, F F Roslan, S D Balasubramaniam, S Sany, E H E Ismail, A S Azizan, M-T Liong","doi":"10.1163/18762891-bja00061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/18762891-bja00061","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The elucidation of the gut-brain axis underscores the critical role of probiotics in enhancing mental wellbeing through immunomodulatory mechanisms. We thus aimed to investigate the effects of a probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Probio87 (orally administered one sachet/day; 9 log cfu/sachet) or placebo for 12-weeks, on immunity and brain health, via possible mechanisms of inflammation and neurotransmitter functions in a generally healthy women population. A parallel, randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled study was performed in generally healthy women (n = 112). Women were randomised to either the probiotic (n = 58, mean age 38.38 ± 0.85 years) or placebo (n = 54, mean age 38.91 ± 0.98 years) for 12-weeks. Immunity and mental wellbeing profiles were evaluated via questionnaires and blood gene expression profiles. Over the study period, the Probio87 group demonstrated a better impact on general women's health as compared to the control group, as measured by the Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ), particularly in domains related to depressed mood, somatic symptoms, anxiety, sexual health, sleep, and menstrual health. The probiotic effects were exhibited later, typically after 6-weeks of intervention, taking over placebo effects that primarily faded off during early stages of the intervention. Regarding immunity, women in the Probio87 group exhibited upregulation of more immunity-related genes than those in the placebo group, primarily associated with NK cells and anti-inflammatory effects via IL-10. Additionally, Probio87 provided gut-brain axis benefits by enhancing the actions of neurotransmitters serotonin and GABA, while also balancing hunger and satiety. The probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Probio87 significantly improved general health, mood, anxiety, and sleep in a generally healthy women population over 12 weeks. It enhanced immune function through increased expression of immunity-related genes and positively modulated neurotransmitters involved in brain health. All these findings supported from our WHQ data, where the administration of probiotic improved domains related to depressed mood, anxiety, sexual behaviour and sleep problems. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier number: NCT05302687.</p>","PeriodicalId":8834,"journal":{"name":"Beneficial microbes","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143498257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M Abou-Samra, K Venema, C Ayoub Moubareck, M Karavetian
{"title":"Gut microbiota composition of lean and obese Lebanese individuals.","authors":"M Abou-Samra, K Venema, C Ayoub Moubareck, M Karavetian","doi":"10.1163/18762891-bja00062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/18762891-bja00062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An altered gut microbiota has been shown to contribute to the development of metabolic diseases such as obesity. In this study gut microbiota profile of 30 obese and 23 lean Lebanese individuals was performed via DNA isolation and sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA of faecal samples. The abundance of the phylum Verrucomicrobiota was higher in lean subjects and there was no significant difference in the Bacillota/ Bacteroidota ratio between the obese and lean groups. The evenness and Shannon alpha diversity indices were significantly higher in the lean group than in the obese group ( q = 0.012 and q = 0.030, respectively). Beta diversity was higher in the obese group based for unweighted uniFrac distance variability ( q = 0.047). Lachnoclostridium was the only genus that was higher in obese ( q = 0.013) and it is linked to diet induced obesity, while the abundance of the genera Peptococcus, Ruminococcus_2, Lachnospiraceae UCG-001, Ruminiclostridium 6, the uncharacterised taxon within Coriobacteriaceae, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, Ruminococcaceae UCG-010 and Oxalobacter, were significantly higher in lean subjects. These bacterial species that were higher in lean people, possess anti-inflammatory properties through the production of short chain fatty acids and are linked with lower body mass index, promote satiety and weight loss and may play a role in the protection against obesity and type 2 diabetes. Further research to generate a clear understanding of the interaction of the gut microbiota and health is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":8834,"journal":{"name":"Beneficial microbes","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143456821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
H Mitrovic, S Sokovic Bajic, K Veljovic, N Golic, M Stankovic
{"title":"Beneficial effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGPKM22 manifest only in interaction with healthy, but not with diseased human bronchial epithelial cells.","authors":"H Mitrovic, S Sokovic Bajic, K Veljovic, N Golic, M Stankovic","doi":"10.1163/18762891-bja00060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/18762891-bja00060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>It has already been recognised that lung microbiota differs in healthy and diseased lungs. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a change in the structure, abundance and diversity of lung microbiota correlates with the severity of disease. But how the members of lung microbiota influence healthy and diseased lungs, as well as how they are affected by the lung health status is still largely unknown. In this study, we applied a dual RNA sequencing in order to scrutinise an early interspecies interaction between healthy and diseased human primary bronchial epithelial cells exposed to the beneficial bacteria Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGPKM22. In healthy and diseased cells interaction with BGPKM22 led to a change in expression of 52 and 45 genes, respectively. The genes IQCN, LINC01554, KCNB1, and CDK7 indicated a specific response of human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to the BGPKM22 strain, regardless of the health status. Markedly more genes showed a change in expression in the BGPKM22 strain in interaction with healthy than with diseased cells, 486 and 101, respectively. Interaction with human bronchial epithelial cells caused a stress to bacteria, but the response of bacteria depended on the health status of the cells. The adhesion of the BGPKM22 strain was better to healthy, than to diseased cells. The fitness of the BGPKM22 strain increased only in interaction with healthy, but not with diseased cells. Remarkably, interaction with healthy, but not with diseased cells, stimulated the synthesis of exopolysaccharide layer of the strain BGPKM22. So, beneficial effects of bacteria can be diminished in interaction with diseased cells. Also, a lowered affinity of bacteria towards diseased environment can explain microbiota dysbiosis in the diseased lungs, such as lungs in patients with COPD.</p>","PeriodicalId":8834,"journal":{"name":"Beneficial microbes","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143456817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S Zhao, Y Qu, H Huang, P Xie, X Cai, Q Peng, J Peng, W Zhang, H Zhou, H Yan, X Li
{"title":"Causal relationship between Faecalibacterium abundance and risk of Faecalibacterium-related diseases: a two-sample bi-directional Mendelian randomisation study.","authors":"S Zhao, Y Qu, H Huang, P Xie, X Cai, Q Peng, J Peng, W Zhang, H Zhou, H Yan, X Li","doi":"10.1163/18762891-bja00058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/18762891-bja00058","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Faecalibacterium is an essential probiotic in the human gut; changes in its abundance are associated with various disease states in many studies. However, the causal nature of such associations remains obscure. Therefore, we aimed to thoroughly investigate the causal relationships between Faecalibacterium and its related diseases. A two-sample bi-directional Mendelian randomisation analysis was conducted using publicly available genome-wide association studies summary statistics for Faecalibacterium and its related diseases. We found that Faecalibacterium was negatively correlated with the risk of ankylosing spondylitis (odds ratio [OR] = 0.526, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.304-0.908, P = 0.021), atopic dermatitis (OR = 0.484, 95%CI: 0.261-0.898, P = 0.021) and heart failure (OR = 0.657, 95%CI: 0.467-0.924, P = 0.016), while Faecalibacterium was positively associated with autism spectrum disorder risk (OR = 2.529, 95%CI: 1.012-6.319, P = 0.047). The results of reverse Mendelian randomisation analysis showed that acute sinusitis (OR = 0.902, 95%CI: 0.839-0.970, P = 0.005) and Alzheimer's disease (OR = 0.976, 95%CI: 0.958-0.993, P = 0.008) was causally associated with lower Faecalibacterium abundance, respectively, while cirrhosis (OR = 1.154, 95%CI: 1.028-1.295, P = 0.015) and multiple myeloma (OR = 2.619 × 1012, 95%CI: 2.492-2.754 × 1024, P = 0.043) was causally associated with higher Faecalibacterium abundance. Our findings firstly showed that changes in Faecalibacterium abundance may contribute to the risk of ankylosing spondylitis, atopic dermatitis, heart failure and autism spectrum disorders, and potentially as a result of acute sinusitis, Alzheimer's disease, cirrhosis and multiple myeloma.</p>","PeriodicalId":8834,"journal":{"name":"Beneficial microbes","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143456819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A LeMoire, L Lin, S A Girard, J Baisley, J Wang, A Atif, R Zahra, M Millette
{"title":"Effect of Bacillus subtilis ATCC 122264 on intestinal gas symptoms and quality of life in adults with functional bloating.","authors":"A LeMoire, L Lin, S A Girard, J Baisley, J Wang, A Atif, R Zahra, M Millette","doi":"10.1163/18762891-bja00057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/18762891-bja00057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Probiotics can confer a beneficial effect on gastrointestinal-related symptoms and their impact on daily life. This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessed the efficacy of a novel probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis ATCC 122264 as a probiotic on gas-related symptoms in healthy adults. One hundred healthy adults with functional bloating/distension according to the ROME IV criteria, were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 5 billion cfu of B. subtilis) or placebo daily for 8 weeks. Intestinal gas symptoms and impact on daily life were assessed weekly by the 17-item Intestinal Gas Questionnaire (IGQ) and the change from baseline was analysed by ANCOVA at 4 and 8 weeks. Post-hoc analyses were conducted on the two parts of the IGQ, scored separately. Sub-group analyses based on sex were also done on the IGQ global and dimension scores as well as the scores from the two individual parts of the IGQ. Safety was assessed by reports of adverse events. B. subtilis did not differ from placebo in the change from baseline to Weeks 4 or 8 in IGQ global score or dimension scores of bloating, flatulence, belching, bad breath, stomach rumbling and difficult gas evacuation ( P > 0.05). In females taking B. subtilis, the severity of belching and flatulence significantly decreased after 4 ( P = 0.046) and 8 weeks ( P = 0.039) respectively, compared to females taking placebo. The impact of flatulence on daily life decreased after 8 weeks in females taking B. subtilis compared to placebo ( P = 0.03). B. subtilis was safe and well tolerated over the 8-week study period. The results suggest that B. subtilis may reduce gas-related symptoms, such as bloating and flatulence, in females. Further studies are needed to confirm the sex-related effects of B. subtilis in populations with gastrointestinal symptoms. Registered at Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT06308146.</p>","PeriodicalId":8834,"journal":{"name":"Beneficial microbes","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143390038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The prebiotic landscape: history, health and physiological benefits, and regulatory challenges - an IPA perspective part 1.","authors":"S H Saville, J A Younes, G Paraskevakos, K Venema","doi":"10.1163/18762891-bja00056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/18762891-bja00056","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Prebiotics are becoming increasingly recognized by consumers, health care professionals and regulators as important contributors to health. Nonetheless, the development, progress, and adoption of prebiotics is hindered by loose terminology, various misconceptions about sources and types of compounds that may be classified as prebiotics, and the lack of consensus on a definition that satisfies regulators. Evolving knowledge of the microbiome and its effects on host health has generated opportunities for modulation of the microbiota that can support host health. Various types of biotics - probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics, are compounds that either modulate the microbiota or arise from the microbiota, affecting health locally and distally. Each of these classes of biotic compounds have distinct, yet complementary benefits. While many scientists have proposed definitions for prebiotics, and there have been attempts by selected scientists to develop a 'consensus definition', the fact remains that globally, scientists, manufacturers, and marketers have adopted different definitions to suit their own interests and purposes, leading to confusion among consumers and health care professionals. The pathway to regulatory acceptance and to reduce/eliminate confusion is a definition that puts the focus on the consumer, and the benefits that consumers can realise from consumption of prebiotics. This consumer-focused approach, supported by science, will also align with regulators and support broader regulatory approval of prebiotics as a category. In this review, we discuss the history of prebiotics, and introduce criteria and a decision tree to classify compounds as prebiotics, supported by the scientific literature to date. This includes a summary of compounds that have been clearly recognised as prebiotics. We also review the microbiota, microbiome, and the various ways in which prebiotics can beneficially affect the microbiota and health. The safety and efficacy of prebiotics is also reviewed, along with effective doses and limitations associated with prebiotic use. This includes scientific tools and methods that help to establish the function, safe use and efficacy of a prebiotic. We also identify misconceptions that can be addressed in communications to consumers and health care professionals. Manufacturing guidelines and the current regulatory status of prebiotics in various jurisdictions are also reviewed. Collectively, this review provides an in-depth overview of the role for prebiotics to support the health of consumers. This consumer-focused approach provides clear criteria for the product category, safe use, effective communication of health benefits and limitations, and a pathway towards regulatory approval.</p>","PeriodicalId":8834,"journal":{"name":"Beneficial microbes","volume":"16 1","pages":"1-33"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142999315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A Sen, M Kimura, R Ejima, S Arai, E Mitsuyama, H Kaneko, R Mishima, N Muto, A Hiraku, K Kato, Y Kuwano, H Maruyama, M Nakamura, N Iwabuchi, M Nakano, T Odamaki, M Tanaka
{"title":"Probiotic viability in the gastrointestinal tract in a randomised placebo controlled trial: combining molecular biology and novel cultivation techniques.","authors":"A Sen, M Kimura, R Ejima, S Arai, E Mitsuyama, H Kaneko, R Mishima, N Muto, A Hiraku, K Kato, Y Kuwano, H Maruyama, M Nakamura, N Iwabuchi, M Nakano, T Odamaki, M Tanaka","doi":"10.1163/18762891-bja00055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/18762891-bja00055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding the viability of ingested probiotics within the gastrointestinal tract is essential for evaluating their efficacy and deciphering their mechanisms of action. Detecting Bifidobacterium longum subspecies longum BB536 is particularly challenging owing to its indistinguishability from the naturally abundant B. longum species in the human gut. We aimed to address this challenge by developing a selective culture medium for B. longum BB536 and employing a propidium monoazide-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PMA-qPCR) method to verify the survival of the probiotic after consumption. To achieve this, we designed a novel lactose-mupirocin-trimethoprim (LMT) medium that facilitates the cultivation of B. longum BB536 under anaerobic conditions at 42 °C. We screened 52 healthy adults and enrolled 39 who met the eligibility criteria. The participants were randomised into two groups, with 34 completing the protocol: 17 received commercial yogurt containing B. longum BB536 (9.30 log10 cfu/day) and 17 received a placebo. Prior to the intervention, B. longum BB536 was undetectable in all participants. However, following supplementation, LMT culturing identified viable B. longum BB536, with average counts of 6.33 ± 0.69 log10 cfu/g on day 3 and 6.16 ± 0.74 log10 cfu/g on day 17. PMA-qPCR further validated these results, showing viable cell counts of 6.09 ± 0.68 log10 cells/g wet faeces on day 3 and 6.44 ± 0.64 log10 cells/g wet faeces on day 17. While each method detected B. longum BB536 in some participants where the other did not, no participant tested negative by both methods at any time point. This complementarity between LMT culturing and PMA-qPCR ensures a comprehensive detection strategy, confirming the presence and resilience of B. longum BB536 in the gastrointestinal tract and underscoring its potential as a beneficial probiotic strain (UMIN000052110). Japan Conference of Clinical Research: registration number: BYG2B-01; University Hospital Medical Information Network: study protocol registration UMIN000052110.</p>","PeriodicalId":8834,"journal":{"name":"Beneficial microbes","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142999310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A Lashermes, E Mathieu, L Marinelli, V Léjard, E Dervyn, C Martin-Gallausiaux, M Jules, N Lapaque, J Doré, M-C Multon, D M Greifenberg, M Plomer, Z Righetto, M Perez Iii, H M Blottière
{"title":"Deciphering the mechanisms of action underlying probiotic properties of Shouchella clausii by a functional genomics approach.","authors":"A Lashermes, E Mathieu, L Marinelli, V Léjard, E Dervyn, C Martin-Gallausiaux, M Jules, N Lapaque, J Doré, M-C Multon, D M Greifenberg, M Plomer, Z Righetto, M Perez Iii, H M Blottière","doi":"10.1163/18762891-bja00050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/18762891-bja00050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Probiotics are widely used for their health promoting effects, though a lot remain to be discovered, particularly on their mechanisms of action at the molecular level. The functional genomic approach is an appropriate method to decipher how probiotics may influence human cell fate and therefore contribute to their health benefit. In the present work, we focused on Shouchella clausii (formerly named Bacillus then Alkalihalobacillus clausii), a spore-forming bacterium that is commercially available as a probiotic for the prevention and the treatment of intestinal dysbiosis and related gastrointestinal disorders, such as diarrhoea. Several studies have demonstrated that S. clausii treatment modulated inflammatory and immune responses, as well as gut barrier functions. A functional genomic strategy was implemented to decipher the mechanisms by which S. clausii exerts its probiotic effects on human intestinal epithelial cells. To do so, a large genomic DNA fragment library was constructed for each of the four strains: O/C, N/R, SIN and T. A high throughput in vitro screening in human epithelial cells was then conducted, using the reporter gene strategy, targeting the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway and interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene expression. After an exhaustive in vitro screening of approximately a thousand clones per library, several clones modulating the NF-κB pathway in the HT-29 reporter cell line were identified. Among clone lysates, 1.1% (O/C), 1.4% (N/R), 2.0% (SIN), and 1.2% (T) were identified as biologically active on immune reporter systems (NF-κB and IL-10 expression). After transposon mutagenesis and a new set of screening and sequencing, 23 coding sequences (CDS) were identified, including one encoding for the glutamine synthetase, associated with NF-κB modulation, and six CDS for IL-10 modulation. The functional genomic strategy that was applied to S. clausii was an original approach to identify gene candidates that may explain the mechanisms of action of probiotics. However, further work is needed to validate the identified leads.</p>","PeriodicalId":8834,"journal":{"name":"Beneficial microbes","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142926366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B D Risk, E L Graham, M Zhang, Y Wei, G C Stark, G D Brown, C L Gentile, T L Weir
{"title":"Bacillus subtilis DE111 partially reverses endothelial dysfunction in western-diet fed mice.","authors":"B D Risk, E L Graham, M Zhang, Y Wei, G C Stark, G D Brown, C L Gentile, T L Weir","doi":"10.1163/18762891-bja00052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/18762891-bja00052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Imbalances in the gut microbiome have emerged as an important factor in endothelial dysfunction, a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Thus, interventions targeting the microbiome may prove helpful in preventing or reversing this impairment. We previously reported that spore-forming Bacillus subtilis DE111 improved endothelial function in a cohort of healthy, non-obese humans after a four-week intervention. Building on these promising results, the present study sought to investigate whether administering B. subtilis DE111 could reverse endothelial dysfunction in mice with diet-induced obesity. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a Western diet (WD; n = 24) or standard diet (SD; n = 24) for ten weeks to induce endothelial dysfunction, after which half of the animals in each group (n = 12) were allocated to receive B. subtilis DE111 (hereafter, PB) formulated into the diet for an additional eight weeks. Outcomes included endothelial-dependent arterial dilation, glucose tolerance, body weight changes, microbiota profiles, and assessments of intestinal permeability and mucosal immunity markers. Furthermore, a cell culture model of gut barrier function was used to assess the effects of PB on gut barrier integrity. PB treatment significantly attenuated WD-induced mesenteric endothelial-dependent arterial dilation, independent of changes in other cardiometabolic parameters or changes in gut barrier function. In vitro trans-epithelial electrical resistance of the Caco-2 cell culture confirmed that neither PB-conditioned media nor faecal waters from B. subtilis-treated human stool resulted in gut barrier improvements, nor did they protect against inflammation-associated barrier disruptions. Unsurprisingly, microbiota analysis revealed significant differences in Shannon's alpha diversity of WD-fed animals compared to SD. These data suggest that PB consumption significantly attenuated WD diet-induced endothelial dysfunction; however, the underlying mechanisms of this protection were not determined. Improvement in endothelial function was independent of PB-mediated changes to body weight or gut barrier function. Further studies should explore B. subtilis-mediated immune responses or metabolite production as mechanisms underlying these endothelial protective effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":8834,"journal":{"name":"Beneficial microbes","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142778816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J D Galley, T A Rajasekera, D J Bennouna, A Batabyal, B Verosky, S Woodke, J Stokes, A K Brown, S Murthy, R E Kopec, T L Gur
{"title":"Multifactorial effects of probiotic Parasutterella excrementihominis on gestational inflammation, offspring behaviour and prenatal-stress induced disruptions in tryptophan metabolism.","authors":"J D Galley, T A Rajasekera, D J Bennouna, A Batabyal, B Verosky, S Woodke, J Stokes, A K Brown, S Murthy, R E Kopec, T L Gur","doi":"10.1163/18762891-bja00047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/18762891-bja00047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Prenatal stress (PNS) has widespread effects on offspring, including aberrant immune development and behavioural deficits. The microbiome is a mediator of the dissemination of stress effects to the offspring through immunomodulation and metabolite production. Metabolites derived from the mother and their gut microbiota pass to the foetus and can affect immune and nervous development. Stress affects the abundance of such metabolites, including the tryptophan (Trp) pathway, which are involved in immune and nervous system function. We hypothesized that the PNS is associated with dysregulation of Trp metabolism. We further posited that treatment with a Trp-metaboliser Parasutterella excrementihominis would abrogate PNS-associated deleterious effects on offspring development. To test this hypothesis, pregnant mice were exposed to restraint stress and administered P. excrementihominis (Dam n = 3-9; Offspring n = 5-10). PNS increased maternal gut Trp and both maternal and offspring inflammation. P. excrementihominis treatment reduced the PNS-induced excess pool of maternal gut Trp. Some PNS effects on foetal neuroinflammation were reduced in severity due to handling effects from bacterial gavage. However, P. excrementihominis was anti-inflammatory in dam and offspring and anxiolytic in offspring of Pe-treated dams. These data illustrate that elevated Trp levels are associated PNS and its downstream deleterious offspring inflammatory and behavioural outcomes while P. excrementihominis, a Trp-metabolizer, can ameliorate these effects and improve offspring outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":8834,"journal":{"name":"Beneficial microbes","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}