Abstract:
AIM To investigate the role of oral probiotics in ameliorating the process of atherosclerosis and its molecular mechanism.
METHODS In vivo experiments: Male apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE-/-) mice fed with high-fat and high-cholesterol diets were divided into PBS group and ATCC33316 group; PBS group was fed with sterile PBS by gavage and ATCC33316 group was fed with pediococcus pentosaceus ATCC33316 by gavage. The extent of aortic lesions was observed; blood lipids and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-6 were detected; untargeted metabolomics techniques were used to analyze these mouse colons (with contents). In vitro experiments: THP-1-derived macrophages were induced by 50 mg/L oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) to establish a foam cell model group, to which 1 mmol/L indol-3-yl pyruvic acid (I3P) was added as the drug-delivery group, cellular lipid accumulation was observed. In the M1-polarised cell model, THP-1-derived macrophages were divided into M0 group, M1 group (20 ng/mL IFN-γ+100 ng/mL LPS) and M1+I3P group (1 mmol/L I3P+ 20 ng/mL IFN-γ+ 100 ng/mL LPS), and the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α were analyzed in each group by qRT-PCR, and the levels of IL-1 and TNF-α were detected in the cell supernatant.
RESULTS ①In vivo experiments: In ATCC33316 group, the extent of aortic and aortic sinus plaque lesions was reduced (P<0.01, P<0.05), triglyceride (P<0.01), TNF-α, and IL-6 levels (P<0.05) were decreased, IL-10 levels (P<0.05) were elevated and I3P levels were upregulated in the intestine (P<0.05). ② In vitro experiments: I3P treatment inhibited the accumulation of lipid droplets in cells in the foam cell model (P<0.01) and decreased the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α and the levels of IL-1 and TNF-α in the supernatant in the M1 polarized cell model (P<0.01).
CONCLUSION Pediococcus pentosaceus ATCC33316 reduces inflammation by up-regulating I3P levels, thereby ameliorating atherosclerotic lesions.