title: Oral Lactobacillus reuteri GMN-32 treatment reduces blood glucose concentrations and promotes cardiac function in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Impaired regulation of blood glucose levels in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and the associated elevation of blood glucose levels are known to increase the risk of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). In the present study, a probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus reuteri GMN-32, was evaluated for its potential to reduce blood glucose levels and to provide protection against DC risks in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM rats. The blood glucose levels of the STZ-induced DM rats when treated with L. reuteri GMN-32 decreased from 4480 to 3620 mg/l (with 10⁷ colony-forming units (cfu)/d) and 3040 mg/l (with 10⁹ cfu/d). Probiotic treatment also reduced the changes in the heart caused by the effects of DM. Furthermore, the Fas/Fas-associated protein with death domain pathway-induced caspase 8-mediated apoptosis that was observed in the cardiomyocytes of the STZ-induced DM rats was also found to be controlled in the probiotic-treated rats. The results highlight that L. reuteri GMN-32 treatment reduces blood glucose levels, inhibits caspase 8-mediated apoptosis and promotes cardiac function in DM rats as observed from their ejection fraction and fractional shortening values. In conclusion, the administration of L. reuteri GMN-32 probiotics can regulate blood glucose levels, protect cardiomyocytes and prevent DC in DM rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chih-Hsueh
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Cheng-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, No. 91, Hsueh-Shib Road, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Marthandam Asokan
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shibu
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chiu-Shong
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chia-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Nutrition Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Fuu-Jen
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Healthcare Administration, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chang-Hai
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Nutrition Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Cheng-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: GenMont Biotech Incorporation, Shanhua, Tainan City, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Yi-Hsing
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, No. 91, Hsueh-Shib Road, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chih-Yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D058065:Diabetic Cardiomyopathies / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D052200:Limosilactobacillus reuteri; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism; D019936:Probiotics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; C491898:Fas protein, rat; D019014:fas Receptor; D053181:Caspase 8