Impact of Oral Administration of Lactobacillus plantarum strain CNCM I-5447 on Obesity Induced by High Fat Diet in Mice

Recent evidence suggests that some strains of Lactobacillus, and in particular of Lactobacillus plantarum, have a beneficial effect on obesity-associated syndromes.Several studies have investigated probiotic challenge in models of high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, specifically with respect to its impact on hepatic and/or adipocyte metabolism, gut inflammation and epithelial barrier integrity, and microbiota composition.However, only a few studies have combined these aspects to generate a global understanding of how probiotics exert their protective effects.Here, we used the probiotic strain L. plantarum CNCM I-5447 and explored its impact on a mouse model of HFD-induced obesity.Briefly, C57BL6 mice were administered 1E9 CFUs/day and fed HFD (60%) for 12 weeks.Our results showed that treatment with this strain improved insulin sensitivity by lowering serum levels of fasting glucose and fructosamine.Administration of the probiotic also affected the transport and metabolism of glucose, resulting in the downregulation of the Glut-4 and G6pase genes. Additionally, L. plantarum CNCM I-5447 decreased concentrations of circulating lipids?specifically, LDLc and FFA?and modulated hepatic lipid metabolism (downregulation of Fasn, Plin, Ap-2, and Cpt1alpha).Probiotic treatment also mitigated HFD-induced ileal inflammation (levels of IL-17 and TNFalpha) and restored HFD-disrupted microbial composition by increasing microbial diversity and lowering the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes.However, this strain of L. plantarum had no impact on epithelial intestinal integrity or on body weight.In conclusion, this probiotic strain represents a potential approach for at least partial restoration of the lipid disruption and inflammation syndromes that are associated with obesity.