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. 2011 Jul 3:11:53.
doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-11-53.

Effects of two Lactobacillus strains on lipid metabolism and intestinal microflora in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet

Ning Xie  1 , Yi Cui, Ya-Ni Yin, Xin Zhao, Jun-Wen Yang, Zheng-Gen Wang, Nian Fu, Yong Tang, Xue-Hong Wang, Xiao-Wei Liu, Chun-Lian Wang, Fang-Gen Lu
Affiliations

Effects of two Lactobacillus strains on lipid metabolism and intestinal microflora in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet

Ning Xie et al. BMC Complement Altern Med. .

Abstract

Background: The hypocholesterolemic effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have now become an area of great interest and controversy for many scientists. In this study, we evaluated the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum 9-41-A and Lactobacillus fermentum M1-16 on body weight, lipid metabolism and intestinal microflora of rats fed a high-cholesterol diet.

Methods: Forty rats were assigned to four groups and fed either a normal or a high-cholesterol diet. The LAB-treated groups received the high-cholesterol diet supplemented with Lactobacillus plantarum 9-41-A or Lactobacillus fermentum M1-16. The rats were sacrificed after a 6-week feeding period. Body weights, visceral organ and fat pad weights, serum and liver cholesterol and lipid levels, and fecal cholesterol and bile acid concentrations were measured. Liver lipid deposition and adipocyte size were evaluated histologically.

Results: Compared with rats fed a high-cholesterol diet but without LAB supplementation, serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides levels were significantly decreased in LAB-treated rats (p < 0.05), with no significant change in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride levels and liver lipid deposition were significantly decreased in the LAB-treated groups (p < 0.05). Accordingly, both fecal cholesterol and bile acids levels were significantly increased after LAB administration (p < 0.05). Intestinal Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium colonies were increased while Escherichia coli colonies were decreased in the LAB-treated groups. Fecal water content was higher in the LAB-treated groups. Compared with rats fed a high-cholesterol diet, administration of Lactobacillus plantarum 9-41-A resulted in decreases in the body weight gain, liver and fat pad weight, and adipocytes size (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: This study suggests that LAB supplementation has hypocholesterolemic effects in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet. The ability to lower serum cholesterol varies among LAB strains. Our strains might be able to improve the intestinal microbial balance and potentially improve intestinal transit time. Although the mechanism is largely unknown, L. plantarum 9-41-A may play a role in fat metabolism.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effects of the two LAB strains on lipid metabolism in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet. A: Serum TCH, HDL-C, LDL-C and TG contents; B: Atherogenic indexes of the rats; C: Liver TCH and TG contents of the rats; D: Fecal total cholesterol and bile acid content. The data are shown as the mean ± standard deviation (n = 10), a,b,c,d Mean values in each panel with different superscript letters differ significantly (p < 0.05).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Histology of liver steatosis in the four groups. A: normal diet; B: high-cholesterol diet; C: high-cholesterol diet + L. plantarum 9-41-A; D: high-cholesterol diet+ L. fermentum M1-16. All the photomicrographs show HE staining (original magnification × 400).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Adipocytes in WAT sections in the four groups. A: normal diet; B:high-cholesterol diet; C: high-cholesterol diet + L. plantarum 9-41-A; D: high-cholesterol diet + L. fermentum M1-16. All the photomicrographs show HE staining (original magnification × 400).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Populations of E. coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium in rat cecums in the four groups. Control group: normal diet; model group: high-cholesterol diet; L.9-41-A group: high-cholesterol diet + L. plantarum 9-41-A; L.M1-16 group: high-cholesterol diet + L. fermentum M1-16. a: Counts of E. coli colonies. b: Counts of Enterococcus faecalis colonies. c: Counts of Lactobacillus colonies. d: Counts of Bifidobacterium colonies. a,b,c Mean values with different superscript letters differ significantly (p < 0.05).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Fecal water content from the rats in the four groups. Control group: nomal diet; model group:high-cholesterol diet; L.9-41-A group:high-cholesterol diet + L. plantarum 9-41-A; L.M1-16 group:high-cholesterol diet + L. fermentum M1-16. a:Water content on the middleday of the third week. b:Water content on the middleday of the sixth week. a,b Mean values with different superscript letters differ significantly (p < 0.05).
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