RESUMO
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes persistent inflammation involving the joints, cartilage, and synovium. In individuals with RA, alterations in the composition of intestinal bacteria suggest the vital role of gut microbiota in immune dysfunction. Multiple therapies commonly used to treat RA can also alter the diversity of gut microbiota, further suggesting the modulation of gut microbiota as a prevention or treatment for RA. Therefore, a better understanding of the changes in the gut microbiota that accompany RA should facilitate the development of novel therapeutic approaches. In this study, B. coagulans BACO-17 not only significantly reduced paw swelling, arthritis scores, and hind paw and forepaw thicknesses but also protected articular cartilage and the synovium against RA degeneration, with a corresponding downregulation of TNF-α expression. The inhibition or even reversing of RA progression highlights B. coagulans BACO-17 as a novel therapeutic for RA worth investigating.