In Vitro Lactic Acid Bacteria Anti-Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Effect and Modulation of the Intestinal Microbiota in Fecal Cultures from HBV-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), being ranked as the top fifth most prevalent cancer globally, poses a significant health challenge, with a considerable mortality rate. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection stands as the primary factor contributing to HCC, presenting substantial challenges in its treatment. This study aimed to identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with anti-HBV properties and evaluate their impact on the intestinal flora in HBV-associated HCC. Initially, two LAB strains, Levilactobacillus brevis SR52-2 (L. brevis SR52-2) and LeviLactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaicus Q80 (L. delbrueckii Q80), exhibiting anti-HBV effects, were screened in vitro from a pool of 498 LAB strains through cell experiments, with extracellular expression levels of 0.58 ± 0.05 and 0.65 ± 0.03, respectively. These strains exhibited the capability of inhibiting the expression of HBeAg and HBsAg. Subsequent in vitro fermentation, conducted under simulated anaerobic conditions mimicking the colon environment, revealed a decrease in pH levels in both the health control (HC) and HCC groups influenced by LAB, with a more pronounced effect observed in the HC group. Additionally, the density of total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the HCC group. Analysis of 16S rRNA highlighted differences in the gut microbiota (GM) community structure in cultures treated with L. brevis SR52-2 and L. delbrueckii Q80. Fecal microflora in normal samples exhibited greater diversity compared to HBV-HCC samples. The HCC group treated with LAB showed a significant increase in the abundance of the phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria, while Proteobacteria significantly decreased compared to the untreated HCC group after 48 h. In conclusion, the findings indicate that LAB, specifically L. brevis SR52-2 and L. delbrueckii Q80, possessing antiviral properties, contribute to an improvement in gastrointestinal health.

Probiotics supplementation improves hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension in type 2 diabetes mellitus: An update of meta-analysis.

Background: Although many studies have shown that consumption of probiotics is relevant to diabetes, the effects of probiotics improves clinical outcomes in type 2 diabetes have yielded conflicting results. The aim of this meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effects of probiotics supplementation on glycemic, blood lipids, pressure and inflammatory control in type 2 diabetes.Methods: PubMed, Web of science, Embase and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant studies from February 2015 up to Janurary 2020, with no language restrictions. The pooled results were calculated with the use of a random-effects model to assess the impact of supplemental probiotics on glycemic, blood lipids, pressure and inflammatory control in type 2 diabetes. Additionally, subgroup analysis was conducted based on patients age, body mass index (BMI), country and duration of the probiotics supplement, respectively.Results: 13 studies were included in this meta-analysis, involving a total of 818 participants in 8 countries. Overall, compared with control groups, the subjects who received multiple species of probiotics had a statistically significant reduction in fasting blood sugar (FBS), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α [standardized mean difference (SMD): -0.89 mg/Dl, 95% CI: -1.66, -0.12 mg/dL; SMD: -0.43, 95% CI: -0.63, -0.23; SMD: -0.19 mg/dL, 95% CI: -0.36, -0.01 mg/dL; SMD: -0.23 mg/dL, 95% CI: -0.40, -0.05 mg/dL; SMD: -5.61 mmHg, 95% CI: -9.78, -1.45 mmHg; SMD: -3.41 mmHg, 95% CI: -6.12, -0.69 mmHg; and SMD: 6.92 pg/ml, 95% CI: 5.95, 7.89 pg/ml, respectively]. However, the subjects who received single-species of probiotic or probiotic with co-supplements in food only changed FBS, HOMA-IR, DBP and TG levels. Moreover, subgroup analyses revealed that the effects of probiotics supplementation on FBS, HMOA-IR, SBP and DBP are significantly influenced by patients age, body mass index (BMI), country and duration of the probiotics supplement.Conclusion: Our analysis revealed that glycemic, lipids, blood pressure and inflammation indicators are significantly improved by probiotic supplementation, particularly the subjects who ages ≤ 55, baseline BMI< 30 kg/m2, duration of intervention more than 8 weeks, and received multiple species probiotic.