title: Exopolysaccharide-producing probiotic Lactobacilli reduce serum cholesterol and modify enteric microbiota in ApoE-deficient mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Probiotic bacteria have been associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk, a leading cause of death and disability.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the impact of dietary administration of exopolysaccharide-producing probiotic Lactobacillus cultures on lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, we examined lipid metabolism in response to dietary supplementation with recombinant β-glucan-producing Lactobacillus paracasei National Food Biotechnology Centre (NFBC) 338 expressing the glycosyltransferase (Gtf) gene from Pediococcus parvulus 2.6 (GTF), and naturally exopolysaccharide-producing Lactobacillus mucosae Dairy Product Culture Collection (DPC) 6426 (DPC 6426) compared with the non-β-glucan-producing isogenic control strain Lactobacillus paracasei NFBC 338 (PNZ) and placebo (15% wt:vol trehalose). Second, we examined the effects on the gut microbiota of dietary administration of DPC 6426 compared with placebo. Probiotic Lactobacillus strains at 1 × 10(9) colony-forming units/d per animal were administered to apoE(-/-) mice fed a high-fat (60% fat)/high-cholesterol (2% wt:wt) diet for 12 wk. At the end of the study, aortic plaque development and serum, liver, and fecal variables involved in lipid metabolism were analyzed, and culture-independent microbial analyses of cecal content were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total cholesterol was reduced in serum (P < 0.001; ∼33-50%) and liver (P < 0.05; ∼30%) and serum triglyceride concentrations were reduced (P < 0.05; ∼15-25%) in mice supplemented with GTF or DPC 6426 compared with the PNZ or placebo group, respectively. In addition, dietary intervention with GTF led to increased amounts of fecal cholesterol excretion (P < 0.05) compared with all other groups. Compositional sequencing of the gut microbiota revealed a greater prevalence of Porphyromonadaceae (P = 0.001) and Prevotellaceae (P = 0.001) in the DPC 6426 group and lower proportions of Clostridiaceae (P < 0.05), Peptococcaceae (P < 0.001), and Staphylococcaceae (P < 0.01) compared with the placebo group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ingestion of exopolysaccharide-producing lactobacilli resulted in seemingly favorable improvements in lipid metabolism, which were associated with changes in the gut microbiota of mice.
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Teagasc, Food Research Centre Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Lis E E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: London
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Vascular Biology, and.
authors.forename: Arun H S
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and.
authors.forename: Pat G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.affiliation: Teagasc, Food Research Centre Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Orla
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre.
authors.forename: Fergus
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shanahan
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Teagasc, Food Research Centre Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and.
authors.forename: Gerald F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; and.
authors.forename: R Paul
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Vascular Biology, and.
authors.forename: Noel M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Caplice
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Teagasc, Food Research Centre Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland catherine.stanton@teagasc.ie.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stanton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D064307:Microbiota; D010376:Pediococcus / Q000201:enzymology; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D014280:Triglycerides; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D047071:beta-Glucans; D002784:Cholesterol; D016695:Glycosyltransferases
keywords: cholesterol; exopolysaccharide; gut microbiota; lactobacilli; lipid metabolism; probiotics