The Oral Administration of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis 557 (LDL557) Ameliorates the Progression of Monosodium Iodoacetate-Induced Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Low-grade body inflammation is a major cause of osteoarthritis (OA), a common joint disease. Gut dysbiosis may lead to systemic inflammation which can be prevented by probiotic administration. The Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis 557 (LDL557) has been demonstrated to have beneficial effects for anti-inflammation. This study investigated the effects of LDL557 on OA progress using monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA of rats. Live or heat-killed (HK)-LDL557 of a low or high dose was administrated for two weeks before MIA-induced OA, and then continuously administrated for another six weeks. After taking supplements for eight weeks, OA progress was analyzed. Results showed that MIA induced knee joint swelling, chondrocyte damage, and cartilage degradation, and supplementation with a high dose of LDL557 reduced MIA-induced knee joint swelling, chondrocyte damage, and cartilage degradation. Additionally, MIA increased serum levels of the matrix-degrading enzyme MMP-13, while a high dose of HK-LDL557 decreased it for the controls. Simultaneously, bone turnover markers and inflammatory cytokines of serum were assayed, but no significant differences were found except for a TNF-α decrease from a low dose of live LDL557. These results demonstrated that supplementation with high doses of live LDL557 or HK-LDL557 can reduce the progression of MIA-induced OA in rats.

Keywords: Lactobacillus delbrueckii; MMPs; inflammation; osteoarthritis; probiotics.

Figure 1

Effect of live or HK-LDL557 on (A) body weight and (B) left knee joint diameter in monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis (OA) rats. The results are presented as means ± S.D. (n = 8). Sham: control; M: MIA; LD: low dose; HD: high dose; HK: heat-killed; and LDL557: Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis 557. Statistical differences were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey’s test. Different letters indicate significant differences among groups (p < 0.05).

Figure 2

Effects of live or HK-LDL557 with a low or high dose on the morphology and histology of the articular cartilage of MIA-induced OA rats. Photomicrographs of histomorphological changes in joint cartilage stained with (A) H&E or (B) Safranin O/Fast Green. Inset boxes in left panels indicate higher magnification images in right panels. The evaluation was conducted using (C) the modified Mankin scoring system or (D) the OARSI scoring system, respectively. The results are presented as means ± S.D. (n = 8). Statistical differences were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey’s test. Different letters indicate significant differences among groups (p < 0.05).

Figure 3

Effects of live or HK-LDL557 with low or high doses on serum matrix-degrading enzymes. (A) MMP-1, (B) MMP-3, and (C) MMP-13 were analyzed. The results are presented as means ± S.D. (n = 8). Statistical differences were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey’s test. Different letters indicate significant differences among groups (p < 0.05).

Figure 4

Effects of live or HK-LDL557 with low or high doses on serum bone turnover biomarkers. (A) PINP and (B) CTX-I were analyzed. The results are presented as means ± S.D. (n = 8). Statistical differences were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey’s test. Different letters indicate significant differences among groups (p < 0.05).

Figure 5

Effects of live or HK-LDL557 on serum cytokine levels in MIA-induced OA rats. (A) TNF-α, (B) IL-1β, (C) IL-6, and (D) IL-10 were analyzed. The results are presented as means ± S.D. (n = 8). Statistical differences were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey’s test. Different letters indicate significant differences among groups (p < 0.05).