Effects ofLactobacillus acidophilusNCFM on insulin sensitivity and the systemic inflammatory response in human subjects

Abstract

According to animal studies, intake of probiotic bacteria may improve glucose homeostasis. We hypothesised that probiotic bacteria improve insulin sensitivity by attenuating systemic inflammation. Therefore, the effects of oral supplementation with the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM on insulin sensitivity and the inflammatory response were investigated in subjects with normal or impaired insulin sensitivity. In a double-blinded, randomised fashion, forty-five males with type 2 diabetes, impaired or normal glucose tolerance were enrolled and allocated to a 4-week treatment course with either L. acidophilus NCFM or placebo. L. acidophilus was detected in stool samples by denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis and real-time PCR. Separated by the 4-week intervention period, two hyperinsulinaemic -euglycaemic clamps were performed to estimate insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, the systemic inflammatory response was evaluated by subjecting the participants to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide injection (0·3 ng/kg) before and after the treatment course. L. acidophilus NCFM was detected in 75 % of the faecal samples after treatment with the probiotic bacterium. Insulin sensitivity was preserved among volunteers in the L. acidophilus NCFM group, whereas it decreased in the placebo group. Both baseline inflammatory markers and the systemic inflammatory response were, however, unaffected by the intervention. In conclusion, intake of L. acidophilus NCFM for 4 weeks preserved insulin sensitivity compared with placebo, but did not affect the systemic inflammatory response.

Gut microorganisms as promising targets for the management of type 2 diabetes

“…To date, the major probiotic strains that have shown beneficial effects on glucose metabolism in humans belong to the Lactobacillus genus (i.e. L. plantarum 299v, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and L. gasseri SBT2055) [61][62][63]. These observations may appear to be discordant, as some Lactobacillus species have been shown to be increased in type 2 diabetic patients, as previously discussed.…”

Effects of 12 weeks of treatment with fermented milk on blood pressure, glucose metabolism and markers of cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study

“…In support of this, large-scale randomised prospective trials have reported a decreased incidence of T2D or leading to regression of impaired fasting glucose levels or impaired glucose tolerance to normoglycaemia by ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), as primary or secondary outcomes (7,8). Studies on the use of bioactive peptides in diabetic patients are limited, and only a few studies have evaluated the effect of probiotics on specific elements of the metabolic syndrome (MS) in non-diabetic adolescents and adults (9,10,11). Furthermore, the excess risk of CVD in patients with T2D is, besides hypertension, associated with adverse changes in plasma lipid levels as well as with a range of cardiometabolic risk markers involved in subclinical inflammation and coagulation.…”

Intestinal microbiota and its relationship with diabetes and obesity

“…So far, there were only two randomized clinical trials published that evaluated the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of glucose intolerance and/or diabetes [62] and visceral obesity and overweight [63]. The first study assessed the effect of administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM on insulin sensitivity and the response to LPS endotoxin in 45 individuals with normal glucose metabolism or with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes [62]. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study lasted 4 weeks.…”