title: Lactobacillus casei enhances type II collagen/glucosamine-mediated suppression of inflammatory responses in experimental osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We previously reported that Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) has beneficial effects in experimental rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by suppressing inflammatory immune responses. The major purpose of this study was to evaluate therapeutic effects of L. casei on pathological responses in experimental rodent model of osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental OA was induced by intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) in Wistar rats. L. casei alone or together with type II collagen (CII) and glucosamine (Gln) was orally administered into OA rats. The pathophysiological aspects of OA were investigated by analyzing mechanical hyperalgesia and histology of articular tissues. Expression of inflammatory molecules was analyzed in CD4(+) T cells, synovial fibroblasts, and chondrocytes by quantitative real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral administration of L. casei together with CII and Gln more effectively reduced pain, cartilage destruction, and lymphocyte infiltration than the treatment of Gln or L. casei alone. This co-administration also decreased expression of various pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-6, IL-12, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP1, MMP3, and MMP13), while up-regulating anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10). These results are concomitant with reduced translocation of NF-κB into the nucleus and increased expression of the tissue inhibitor of MMP1 (TIMP1) and CII in chondrocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provides evidence that L. casei could act as a potent nutraceutical modulator for OA treatment by reducing pain, inflammatory responses, and articular cartilage degradation.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 500-712, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Seon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: Min-Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Ho-Keun
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Choong-Gu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang-Suk
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.forename: Anupama
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sahoo
authors.forename: Arijita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jash
authors.forename: Sung Haeng
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Zee Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sin-Hyeog
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Im
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000819:agonists* / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000819:agonists* / Q000502:physiology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D007780:Lacticaseibacillus casei / Q000502:physiology*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000032:analysis; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D024043:Collagen Type II; D016207:Cytokines; D016328:NF-kappa B; D005944:Glucosamine