Hepatoprotective Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum HFY09 on Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice

Yi Gan; Jin Tong; Xianrong Zhou; Xingyao Long; Yanni Pan; Weiwei Liu; Xin Zhao

doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.684588

Hepatoprotective Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum HFY09 on Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice

Front Nutr. 2021 Jun 24:8:684588. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.684588. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yi Gan^{1

2

3}, Jin Tong⁴, Xianrong Zhou^{1

2

3}, Xingyao Long^{1

2

3}, Yanni Pan^{1

2

3}, Weiwei Liu⁵, Xin Zhao^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Chongqing Collaborative Innovation Center for Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing, China.
² Chongqing Engineering Research Center of Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing, China.
³ Chongqing Engineering Laboratory for Research and Development of Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing, China.
⁴ Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chongqing Emergency Medical Center, Chongqing University Central Hospital, Chongqing, China.
⁵ School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Abstract

Lactobacillus plantarum is a bacterial strain that is used as a probiotic with health-promoting effects. Our study investigated the hepatoprotective effect of Lactobacillus plantarum HFY09 (LP-HFY09) in mice with ethanol-induced liver injury. The protection afforded by LP-HFY09 was evaluated by observing the morphology of hepatic tissue and measuring liver lipid indexes and function indexes, levels of anti-oxidative enzymes, and anti-inebriation enzymes, as well as oxidative metabolism-related gene expression. Gavage administration of LP-HFY09 [1 × 10⁹ CFU/kg body weight (bw)] limited the loss of bw, alcohol damage to the liver, and maintained the normal hepatic tissue morphology. Lactobacillus plantarum HFY09 intervention in ethanol-induced mice led to decreases in serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), aspartic transaminase, alanine transaminase, hyaluronidase (HAase), and precollagen III (PC III), and increases in liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Lactobacillus plantarum HFY09 assisted with alleviating inflammation by elevating the level of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and decreasing the levels of pro-inflammatory factors [IL-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF)-α]. Lactobacillus plantarum HFY09 significantly elevated hepatic levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH), and decreased liver malondialdehyde (MDA) from 3.45 to 1.64 nmol/mg protein. Lactobacillus plantarum HFY09 exhibited an overall strong regulatory effect on liver protection when compared to that of commercial Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. The hepatoprotective effect of LP-HFY09 was reflected by the upregulated expression of peroxisome proliferator activated-receptors α, SOD1, SOD2, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), and catalase (CAT), and the downregulated expression of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX1), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK). Administration of LP-HFY09 at a concentration of 1.0 × 10⁹ CFU/kg bw could be a potential intervention, for people who frequently consume alcohol.

Keywords: alcoholic liver injury; anti-inflammatory; antioxidant; hepatoprotective effect; lactic acid bacteria.