Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG improves glucose tolerance through alleviating ER stress and suppressing macrophage activation in db/db mice

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition 2015, Vol.56(3), pp.240-246
• Main Authors: Park, Kun-Young, Kim, Bobae, Hyun, Chang-Kee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ER stress; insulin resistance; Lactobacillus rhamnosus; M1-like macrophage activation; Original; probiotics; type 2 diabetic mice
• ISSN: 0912-0009; 1880-5086
• DOI: 10.3164/jcbn.14-116

Although recent studies have reported that Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), the most extensively studied probiotic strain, exerts an anti-hyperglycemic effect on several rodent models, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, twenty male C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) mice were divided into 2 groups, LGG-treated and control group, which received a daily dose of LGG (1 × 108 CFU per mouse) and PBS orally for 4 weeks, respectively. We observed that glucose tolerance was significantly improved in LGG-treated db/db mice. Insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation and GLUT4 translocation were higher in skeletal muscle of LGG-treated mice relative to their controls. It was also observed that LGG treatment caused significant reductions in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in skeletal muscle and M1-like macrophage activation in white adipose tissues. Our results indicate that the anti-diabetic effect of LGG in db/db mice is associated with alleviated ER stress and suppressed macrophage activation, resulting in enhanced insulin sensitivity. These findings suggest a therapeutic potential of probiotics for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.