Lactobacillus plantarum Improves Metabolic Outcomes and Alters the Colonic Immune State in Mice Fed a High Fat Diet

• DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.854.1
• Publication Date: 2023-11-26T16:51:37Z
• Authors: Dustin Heeney; Javad Barouei; Yu‐hsin Hsieh; Alice Martinic; Darya Mishchuk; Dorothy Kieffer; Carolyn Slupsky; Roy Martin; Maria Marco
• Keywords: 2. Zero hunger; 3. Good health

Obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome are associated with a dysbiotic microbiome and unregulated immune activation. Thus, identifying dietary strategies enriching for members of the microbiota that correct for these deficiencies in the indigenous microbiota is useful for managing and preventing those chronic conditions. This approach holds particular promise for consumption of strains of Lactobacillus species commonly consumed in fermented foods. Herein, we investigated the effects of regular consumption of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) on both treatment, and prevention of diet‐induced obesity. Study 1 Treatment: Male C57BL/6J mice received a high‐fat (HF) diet (45.9% energy from fat) for 9 weeks and then were maintained on either the HF diet or HF diet supplemented with 109 cells LP, feeding every other day (n=10/grp), for another 6 weeks. Study 2 Prevention: Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a HF diet with or without feeding 109 cells LP every other day, for nine weeks (n=10/grp). For both studies, ingestion of LP resulted in higher levels of Lactobacillus in the digestive tract but did not result in global alterations to the intestinal microbiome. In study 1, supplementation with LP significantly increased colonic production of the T‐cell proliferative factor IL‐2 (p = 0.010) and the lymphoid organ maintenance signal TNF‐beta (p = 0.0298). In study 2, supplementation with LP significantly increased colonic production of the T‐reg promoting cytokine IL‐27 (p = 0.0325). In both studies IL‐23, a driver of antibacterial and mucosal barrier maintenance, was significantly upregulated in LP supplemented mice compared to HF diet controls (p = 0.0056, 0.0457, for study 1 and 2 respectively). In Study 2, LP‐fed mice were partially protected from weight gain compared with the HF diet controls (p = 0.0310) and showed improved oral glucose tolerance. The reduction in weight gain was not associated with significant changes in food intake. Results from our study provide novel evidence of the capabilities of LP to inform the maintenance of the colonic immune system and that dietary supplementation with this strain can be beneficial even while maintaining a HF diet.Support or Funding InformationAmerican Diabetes Association