Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 alleviated DSS-induced colitis by modulating immunological profiles, gut microbiota and intestinal metabolites in a mouse model
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and substantial clinical evidence suggests that probiotic supplementation demonstrates efficacy and safety. Our study investigated the protective effect of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 (LH R0052) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice and its potential mechanism. The results indicated that, compared with the control group, administration of DSS significantly reduced body weight, shortened colon length, augmented the disease activity index (DAI), exacerbated histological damage, induced inflammation and oxidative stress, disrupted the intestinal barrier, and caused dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and metabolic imbalance. The administration of LH R0052 exerted protective effect against colitis by improving the phenotypic presentation, suppressing the proliferation of harmful gut bacteria, modulating immune responses, protecting the intestinal barrier, and restoring the gut microbiota and metabolic homeostasis. In conclusion, this study suggested that LH R0052 exhibited potential effecacy in alleviating DSS-induced UC and hold promise as a probiotic for mitigating intestinal inflammation.