Lactobacillus paracasei GMNL-32 exerts a therapeutic effect on cardiac abnormalities in NZB/W F1 mice

PLoS One. 2017 Sep 21;12(9):e0185098. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185098. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease that mostly affects women. Accelerated atherosclerosis is a high-risk factor associated with SLE patients. SLE associated with cardiovascular disease is one of the most important causes of death. In this study, we demonstrated that Lactobacillus paracasei GMNL-32 (GMNL-32), a probiotic species, exhibits anti-fibrosis and anti-apoptotic effects on the cardiac tissue of NZB/WF1 mice. Female NZB/W F1 mice, a well-known and commonly used lupus-prone mouse strain, were treated with or without GMNL-32 administration for 12 weeks. Oral administration of GMNL-32 to NZB/WF1 mice significantly increased the ventricular thickness when compared to that of NZB/WF1 mice. Administration of GMNL-32 significantly attenuated the cardiac cell apoptosis that was observed in exacerbate levels in the control NZB/WF1 mice. Further, the cellular morphology that was slightly distorted in the NZB/WF1 was effectively alleviated in the treatment group mice. In addition, GMNL-32 reduced the level of Fas death receptor-related pathway of apoptosis signaling and enhanced anti-apoptotic proteins. These results indicate that GMNL-32 exhibit an effective protective effect on cardiac cells of SLE mice. Thus, GMNL-32 may be a potential therapeutic strategy against SLE associated arthrosclerosis.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / physiology
  • Blotting, Western
  • Collagen / metabolism
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Fibrosis / diet therapy
  • Fibrosis / metabolism
  • Fibrosis / pathology
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Heart Ventricles / metabolism
  • Heart Ventricles / pathology
  • In Situ Nick-End Labeling
  • Lacticaseibacillus paracasei*
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / diet therapy*
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / metabolism
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / pathology
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / metabolism
  • Mice, Inbred NZB
  • Organ Size
  • Probiotics / administration & dosage*
  • Random Allocation

Substances

  • Collagen
  • Ptgs2 protein, mouse
  • Cyclooxygenase 2
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase 9
  • Mmp9 protein, mouse

Grants and funding

This work is supported by Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare Clinical Trial and Research Center of Excellence (MOHW105-TDU-B-212-133019) and GenMont Biotech Incorporation, Taiwan. (1044EI). The funding organization provided support in the form of salaries for Y-H.C. and research materials (L. paracasei GMNL-32), but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.