AUTHOR=Webberley Thomas S. , Masetti Giulia , Baker Laura M. , Dally Jordanna , Hughes Timothy R. , Marchesi Julian R. , Jack Alison A. , Plummer Sue F. , Ramanathan Guru , Facey Paul D. , Michael Daryn R. TITLE=The Impact of Lab4 Probiotic Supplementation in a 90-Day Study in Wistar Rats JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition VOLUME=8 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.778289 DOI=10.3389/fnut.2021.778289 ISSN=2296-861X ABSTRACT=

The anti-inflammatory and cholesterol lowering capabilities of probiotic bacteria highlight them as potential prophylactics against chronic inflammatory diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease. Previous studies in silico, in vitro, and in vivo suggest that the Lab4 probiotic consortium may harbour such capabilities and in the current study, we assessed plasma levels of cytokines/chemokines, short chain fatty acids and lipids and faecal levels of bile acids in a subpopulation of healthy Wistar rats included in 90-day repeat dose oral toxicity study. In the rats receiving Lab4, circulating levels of pro-inflammatory interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-α and keratinocyte chemoattractant/growth regulated oncogene were significantly lower compared to the control group demonstrating a systemic anti-inflammatory effect. These changes occurred alongside significant reductions in plasma low density lipoprotein cholesterol and increases in faecal bile acid excretion implying the ability to lower circulating cholesterol via the deconjugation of intestinal bile acids. Correlative analysis identified significant associations between plasma tumour necrosis factor-α and the plasma total cholesterol:high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and faecal levels of bifidobacteria in the Lab4 rats. Together, these data highlight Lab4 supplementation as a holistic approach to CVD prevention and encourages further studies in humans.