Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis GCL2505 ameliorates metabolic disorders through proliferation in the gut.

Abstract

The gut microbiota is an important contributor to the worldwide prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS), which includes obesity and diabetes.　The present study investigated the effects of probiotic Bifidobacterium treatment on MS in mouse and human. Using an animal model, the anti-MS effects exerted by B. animalis subsp. lactis GCL2505, a highly proliferative Bifidobacterium strain in the gut, and B. longum subsp. longum JCM 1217^T were comparatively examined. GCL2505 treatment reduced visceral fat accumulation and improved glucose tolerance, whereas JCM 1217^T had no effect on these parameters. Gut microbial analysis revealed that GCL2505 exerted stronger effects on the overall bacterial structure of the gut microbiota than JCM 1217^T, including enrichment of the genus Bifidobacterium. The levels of acetate and glucagon-like peptide-1 were increased by GCL2505 treatment in both the gut and plasma, but not by JCM 1217^T treatment. Human clinical studies demonstrated that consumption of GCL2505 improved abdominal visceral fat accumulation. These findings indicated that GCL2505, a highly viable and proliferative probiotic, improves MS by modulating gut microbiota, which results in the elevation of SCFAs, especially acetate.