Contributions of Lactobacillus plantarum PC170 administration on the recovery of gut microbiota after short-term ceftriaxone exposure in mice

Oral supplementation with Bifidobacterium longum ssp. infantis and 2'-fucosyllactose revives gut microbiota perturbation and intestinal and immune developmental delay following early-life antibiotic challenge in BALB/c mice

Probiotics and synbiotics can mitigate the negative health consequences of early-life antibiotic exposure. This study aimed to determine whether supplementation with Bifidobacterium longum ssp. infantis 79 (B79) or synbiotics composed of B79 and 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) could mitigate the negative impact of ceftriaxone exposure in early life. We found that antibiotic-treated mice exhibited lower BW, crypt depth, short-chain fatty acid content, and α-diversity indices at weaning, whereas they had increased relative abundance of opportunistic pathogens (such as Enterococcus and Staphylococcus) and decreased relative abundance of intestinal commensal bacteria. Supplementation with B79 and 2'-FL revived these antibiotic-induced negative effects and reduced the mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-12p40, and TNF-α in the spleen at weaning. Moreover, B79 and 2'-FL supplementation persistently improved crypt depth, propionic acid synthesis, and IgG and secretory IgA production, as well as revived the gut microbiota structure and composition in adulthood. Overall, our study suggests that early-life supplementation with B79 alone or in combination with 2'-FL can mitigate ceftriaxone-induced negative effects on the gut microbiota and intestinal and immune development of mice, and these improvements can partially last into adulthood.

Gut microb-aging and its relevance to frailty aging

This review explores 'microb-aging' in the gut and its potential link to frailty aging. We explore this connection through alterations in microbiota's taxonomy and metabolism, as well as with concepts of ecological resilience, pathobionts emergence, and biogeography. We examine microb-aging in interconnected body organs, emphasizing the bidirectional relationship with 'inflammaging'. Finally, we discuss how targeting microb-aging could improve screening, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches in geriatrics.

Akkermansia muciniphila and Lactobacillus plantarum ameliorate systemic lupus erythematosus by possibly regulating immune response and remodeling gut microbiota

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), characterized by persistent inflammation, is a complex autoimmune disorder that affects all organs, challenging clinical treatment. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota promotes autoimmune disorders that damage extraintestinal organs. Modulating the gut microbiome is proposed as a promising approach for fine-running parts of the immune system, relieving systematic inflammation in multiple diseases. This study demonstrated that the administration of Akkermansia muciniphila and Lactobacillus plantarum contributed to an anti-inflammatory environment by decreasing IL-6 and IL-17 and increasing IL-10 levels in the circulation. The treatment of A. muciniphila and L. plantarum restored the intestinal barrier integrity to a different extent. In addition, both strains reduced the deposit of IgG in the kidney and improved renal function significantly. Further studies revealed distinct remodeling roles of A. muciniphila and L. plantarum administration on the gut microbiome. This work demonstrated essential mechanisms of how A. muciniphila and L. plantarum remodel gut microbiota and regulate the immune responses in the SLE mice model. IMPORTANCE Several pieces of research have demonstrated that certain probiotic strains contribute to regulating excessive inflammation and restoring tolerances in the SLE animal model. More animal trials combined with clinical studies are urgently needed to further elucidate the mechanisms for the effect of specific probiotic bacteria in preventing SLE symptoms and developing novel therapeutic targets. In this study, we explored the role of A. muciniphila and L. plantarum in ameliorating the SLE disease activity. Both A. muciniphila and L. plantarum treatment relieved the systemic inflammation and improved renal function in the SLE mouse model. We demonstrated that A. muciniphila and L. plantarum contributed to an anti-inflammatory environment by regulating cytokine levels in the circulation, restoring the intestinal barrier integrity, and remodeling the gut microbiome, however, to a different extent.

Lactobacillus gasseri LG-G12 Restores Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Health in Obesity Mice on Ceftriaxone Therapy

Gut microbiota imbalance is associated with the occurrence of metabolic diseases such as obesity. Thus, its modulation is a promising strategy to restore gut microbiota and improve intestinal health in the obese. This paper examines the role of probiotics, antimicrobials, and diet in modulating gut microbiota and improving intestinal health. Accordingly, obesity was induced in C57BL/6J mice, after which they were redistributed and fed with an obesogenic diet (intervention A) or standard AIN-93 diet (intervention B). Concomitantly, all the groups underwent a treatment phase with Lactobacillus gasseri LG-G12, ceftriaxone, or ceftriaxone followed by L. gasseri LG-G12. At the end of the experimental period, the following analysis was conducted: metataxonomic analysis, functional profiling of gut microbiota, intestinal permeability, and caecal concentration of short-chain fatty acids. High-fat diet impaired bacterial diversity/richness, which was counteracted in association with L. gasseri LG-G12 and the AIN-93 diet. Additionally, SCFA-producing bacteria were negatively correlated with high intestinal permeability parameters, which was further confirmed via functional profile prediction of the gut microbiota. A novel perspective on anti-obesity probiotics is presented by these findings based on the improvement of intestinal health irrespective of undergoing antimicrobial therapy or not.

Maternal gestational Bifidobacterium bifidum TMC3115 treatment shapes construction of offspring gut microbiota and development of immune system and induces immune tolerance to food allergen

In this study we aimed to determine whether treatment with maternal Bifidobacterium bifidum TMC3115 could affect the composition of the gut microbiota and the development of the immune system and intestinal tract of offspring, and protect the offspring from IgE-mediated allergic disease. Pregnant BALB/c mice were gavaged with TMC3115 until delivery. Offspring were sensitized with ovalbumin from postnatal days 21 to 49. After maternal treatment with TMC3115, the microbiota of the offspring's feces, intestinal contents, and stomach contents (a proxy for breast milk) at the newborn and weaning stages exhibited the most change, and levels of immunoglobulin in the sera and stomach contents and of splenic cytokines, as well as the mRNA levels of colonic intestinal development indicators were all significantly altered in offspring at different stages. After sensitization with ovalbumin, there were no significant changes in the levels of serum IgE or ovalbumin-specific IgE/IgG1 in the TMC3115 group; however, IgM, the expression of intestinal development indicators, and the production of fecal short chain fatty acid (SCFA) were significantly increased, as were the relative abundances of Lactobacillus and the Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group. Our results suggested that maternal treatment with TMC3115 could have a profound modulatory effect on the composition of the gut microbiota and the development of the immune system and intestinal tissue in offspring at different stages of development, and may induce immune tolerance to allergens in ovalbumin-stimulated offspring by modulating the gut microbiota and SCFA production.

Antibiotic cocktail-induced gut microbiota depletion in different stages could cause host cognitive impairment and emotional disorders in adulthood in different manners

Gut microbiota depletion may result in cognitive impairment and emotional disorder. This study aimed to determine the possible association between host gut microbiota, cognitive function, and emotion in various life stages and its related underlying mechanisms. Seventy-five neonatal mice were randomly divided into five groups (n = 15 per group). Mice in the vehicle group were administered distilled water from birth to death, and those in the last four groups were administered antibiotic cocktail from birth to death, from birth to postnatal day (PND) 21 (infancy), from PND 21 to 56 (adolescence), and from PND 57 to 84 (adulthood), respectively. Antibiotic exposure consistently altered the gut microbiota composition and decreased the diversity of gut microbiota. Proteobacteria were the predominant bacteria instead of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes after antibiotic exposure in different life stages. Long-term and infant gut microbiota depletion resulted in anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, memory impairments, and increased expression of γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor α1 of adult mice. Long-term antibiotic exposure also significantly decreased serum interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, and corticosterone of adult mice. Gut microbiota depletion in adolescence resulted in anxiety-like behaviors, short-term memory decline, decreased serum interferon-γ (IFN-γ), mRNA expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1A, and neuropeptide Y receptor Y2 in the prefrontal cortex of adult mice. Antibiotic exposure in adulthood damaged short-term memory and decreased serum IL-10, IFN-γ, and increased γ-aminobutyric acid type B receptor 1 mRNA expression of adult mice. These results suggest that antibiotic-induced gut microbiota depletion in the long term and infancy resulted in the most severe cognitive and emotional disorders followed by depletion in adolescence and adulthood. These results also suggest that gut microbes could influence host cognitive function and emotion in a life stage-dependent manner by affecting the function of the immune system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and the expression of neurochemicals in the brain.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CJLP243 in Patients with Functional Diarrhea and High Fecal Calprotectin Levels

Micro-inflammation in the gut, assessed by fecal calprotectin (FC), is considered a component of the pathogenesis of functional diarrhea (FD). Since probiotics may suppress micro-inflammation in the intestine by competing with harmful bacteria, we hypothesized that they would reduce the ratio of loose stool symptoms and gut inflammation in patients with FD. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the clinical and laboratory effects of Lactobacillus plantarum CJLP243 in FD patients with elevated FC levels for two months. Twenty-four patients diagnosed with FD with elevated FC levels were randomly assigned to either a probiotic group or a placebo group. After 2 months, 10 patients in the probiotic group and 12 patients in the placebo group completed the study, and FD symptoms, FC values, and intestinal flora were re-evaluated in these subjects. The percentage of subjects who had adequate FD relief (decrease in loose stool frequency) in the probiotic group was significantly increased after two months compared with the baseline. In addition, the probiotic group showed a statistically significant decrease in log-transformed FC values compared with the pre-treatment group, whereas the placebo group showed no difference before and after the intervention. Furthermore, the levels of Leuconostoc genus organisms in the gut microbiota composition in the probiotic group increased significantly after the end of the study compared with the baseline values. In this preliminary exploratory research, we found that two months of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CJLP243 treatment resulted in FD symptom improvement, reduced FC values, and increased Leuconostoc levels, suggesting that the intake of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum was helpful in those patients. These findings need to be validated via further clinical studies.