Diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy is ameliorated by heat-killed Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-263 in diabetic rats via the repression of the toll-like receptor 4 pathway

Eur J Nutr. 2021 Sep;60(6):3211-3223. doi: 10.1007/s00394-020-02474-z. Epub 2021 Feb 8.

Abstract

Purpose: Diabetes mellitus (DM) leads to disorders such as cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac myocyte apoptosis, and cardiac fibrosis. Previous studies have shown that Lactobacillus reuteri GMNL-263 decreases cardiomyopathy by reducing inflammation. In this study, we investigated the potential benefit of GMNL-263 supplementation in treating diabetes-induced cardiomyocytes in rats with DM.

Methods: Five-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups, control, DM, and rats with DM treated with different dosages of L. reuteri GMNL-263. After undergoing treatment for 4 weeks, all rats were euthanized for further analysis.

Results: We observed that cardiac function and structure of rats with DM was rescued by GMNL-263. Activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-related inflammatory, hypertrophic, and fibrotic signaling pathways in the hearts of rats with DM was reduced by treatment with GMNL-263.

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that GMNL-263 inhibited diabetes-induced cardiomyocytes via the repression of the TLR4 pathway. Moreover, these findings suggest that treatment with high-dose GMNL-263 could be a precautionary therapy for reducing the diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy.

Keywords: Cardiomyopathy; Diabetes mellitus; GMNL-263; TGF-β; TLR4.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cardiomyopathies* / therapy
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental* / therapy
  • Hot Temperature
  • Limosilactobacillus reuteri*
  • Male
  • Myocytes, Cardiac
  • Probiotics*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / genetics

Substances

  • Toll-Like Receptor 4