The Ameliorative Effect of Four Probiotic Strains on Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
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Abstract:
This study aimed to explore the positive effects of four strains of probiotics on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Thirty mice were randomly divided into six groups: the normal control group (N), the high-fat diet (HFD)-model group (M), and four probiotic intervention groups (Lactobacillus plantarum [LP, 45], Lactobacillus acidophilus [La, 28], Lactobacillus rhamnosus LR, 519] and Bifidobacterium lactis [Bal, 531]). Group N was fed a regular diet, while the other groups were fed the HFD. Additionally, the probiotic intervention groups were fed by gavage daily with the corresponding bacteria solutions for 21 days. The control groups (N and M) received an equal volume of normal saline. Throughout this period, the body weight and food intake of the mice were monitored. Visceral fat, biochemical indices, histopathology, and inflammatory cytokine levels in the liver were examined. Compared to the N group, the M group demonstrated significant increases in food intake, body weight, and visceral fat, with values reaching 8.74 g/d, 33.30 g, and 0.71 g, respectively. The probiotic intervention groups showed marked reductions in food intake and visceral fat compared to the M group. Specifically, the food intake for the Bal, La, LR, and LP groups were 6.97, 6.91, 5.94, and 6.59 g/d, respectively, and the corresponding values for visceral fat were 0.41, 0.40, 0.27, and 0.36 g. Levels of alanine aminotransferase, cholesterol, triglycerides, and malondialdehyde significantly decreased. A notable alleviation in hepatic steatosis was observed. Furthermore, the levels of inflammatory cytokines (ELF3, TNF-α mRNA, and IL-6 protein) significantly decreased (P<0.05). The four probiotic strains also showed certain antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities in vitro. Notably, Bal had the highest antioxidant activity (16.81%) and La had the highest hypolipidemic activity (46.40%). The Bal, La, LP, and LR groups showed effective alleviation of NAFLD in mice. Our findings suggest that the hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and liver-protective activities of the probiotic strains are at least partially responsible for the ameliorative effect on NAFLD.
