Probiotics in the Prevention and Treatment of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM): A Review

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)is one of the most common perinatal pathologies, with a prevalence of 5–20% depending on the population or diagnostic standards. It is diagnosed when glucose intolerance is first detected during pregnancy. In the pathogenesis of GDM, genetic, environmental, and pregnancy-related factors (excessive fat storage and increased adipokine and cytokine secretion) play important roles. A growing amount of scientific data has indicated the role of gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis in the development of glucose intolerance during pregnancy. Previous studies have indicated that, in comparison to healthy pregnant women, GDM individuals have a greater abundance of bacteria belonging to the genera Ruminococcus, Eubacterium, and Prevotella and a lower number of bacteria belonging to the genera Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Roseburia, Dialister, and Akkermansia. Recently, many studies have focused on treating GDM with methods targeting GM. Several previous studies have analyzed the effect of probiotics on the course of GDM, but their data are inconclusive. In view of this state, the aim of the study was to collect and comprehensively discuss current knowledge regarding the role of probiotic supplementation in preventing and treating GDM. According to the analyzed data, probiotics have a positive influence on glycemic control and are a promising tool for lowering the frequency of GDM. However, further studies must be conducted to determine the optimal model of probiotic therapy (strain, dose, time of intervention, etc.) in pregnant women with GDM.

Effects of sex on fat deposition through gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids in weaned pigs

“…Another experiment revealed that relative weights of mesenteric white adipose tissue (mWAT), epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), and renal white adipose tissue (kWAT) were increased in mice related with low relative abundance of Ralstonia . It was supposed that Ruminococcaceae had a close relationship with fat deposition ( Kaminska et al., 2022 ). In the previous discussion, it was noticed that the high body fat group's gut exhibited a higher abundance of Ruminococcaceae UCG-005 .…”

Effects of Probiotics on Glycemic Control and Metabolic Parameters in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Probiotic supplements were suggested to improve glucose, insulin, and lipid metabolism and decrease inflammatory response, reducing the risk for GDM and unfavorable pregnancy outcomes [ 45 , 46 ]. The mechanisms by which probiotic supplements alter glucose metabolism include the production of short-chain fatty acids, which were found to (1) regulate the production of hormones such as leptin and grehlin [ 47 ], affecting energy intake and expenditure, (2) increase the intestinal expression of peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormones, which act to increase insulin sensitivity [ 48 ], and (3) enhance the production of glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), which reduces inflammation [ 49 , 50 ]. Probiotic administration in women with GDM was also reported to reduce inflammatory markers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 [ 14 , 50 ].…”

Association of Polyphenols Consumption with Risk for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Preeclampsia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Indeed, the abundance of some genera of bacteria is associated with glucose metabolism in GDM women [ 53 ] and gut microbiota could be mediating the increase in BMI of infants born to GDM women [ 54 ]. Interestingly, it is suggested that treatment with probiotics could improve insulin sensitivity, glycemic control, and pregnancy outcomes in GDM women [ 55 , 56 , 57 ]. In this line, treatment with polyphenols improves gut microbiota dysbiosis in both animal models and human studies, which is also related to the reduction of systemic inflammation that is common in GDM and PE [ 58 , 59 ].…”