Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Lactic acid bacteria prevent alcohol-induced steatohepatitis in rats by acting on the pathways of alcohol metabolism

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Clinical and Experimental Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objective is to study the possible mechanism by which lactic acid bacteria (LAB) prevent alcohol-induced steatohepatitis in rats. A total of 25 Wistar rats were divided into three groups: a LAB-fed group, an alcohol-treated group and a control group. Both the LAB-fed group and the alcohol-treated group received alcohol (10 g kg−1 per day) orally for up to 5 days (125 h). Before exposure to alcohol, the LAB-fed group were first treated daily with 1.5 ml/100 g of a mixture comprising 4 × 1010 ml−1 of Lactobacillus acidophilus and 2.5 × 107 ml−1 of Bifidobacterium longum, while the control group was treated with normal saline only. Biochemical data, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity and histology of the liver and stomach were evaluated. The ADH activity in the LAB mixture was 3.52 ± 0.45 μmol mg−1 protein (109 CFU ml−1), and was dose-dependent. By 30 min after taking alcohol, serum alcohol concentrations were 514.24 ± 80.21 μg ml−1 in the LAB-fed group and 795.15 ± 203.45 μg ml−1 in the alcohol-treated group (P < 0.005). Serum alcohol concentrations were reduced by 48% (P < 0.01) in the LAB-fed group, but by only 4% in the alcohol-treated group (P > 0.05) 120 min after oral intake of alcohol. The blood levels of endotoxin, AST and ALT were improved in the LAB-fed group compared to the alcohol-fed group (P < 0.01). All alcohol-treated rats showed moderate to severe steatohepatitis, but the LAB-fed rats showed almost normal histology or very slight lesions only. In conclusion, LAB decreased the alcohol concentration in the blood by increasing the first-pass metabolism in both the stomach and the liver, and effectively protected against alcohol-induced gastric and liver injury. It is interesting to note that the protection was more effective in the liver.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Caballería J (2003) Current concepts in alcohol metabolism. Ann Hepatol 2:60–68

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Rao RK, Seth A, Sheth P (2004) Recent advances in alcoholic liver disease I. Role of intestinal permeability and endotoxemia in alcoholic liver disease. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 286:881–884

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Nanji AA, Khettry U, Sadrzadeh SM (1994) Lactobacillus feeding reduces endotoxemia and severity of experimental alcoholic liver disease. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 205:243–247

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Thurman RG (1998) Mechanisms of hepatic toxicity II. Alcoholic liver injury involves activation of Kupffer cells by endotoxin. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 275:605–611

    Google Scholar 

  5. Marotta F, Barreto R, Wu CC et al (2005) Experimental acute alcohol pancreatitis-related liver damage and endotoxemia: symbiotics but not metronidazole have a protective effect. Chin J Dig Dis 6:193–197

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Nosova T, Jousimies-Somer H, Jokelainen K et al (2000) Acetaldehyde production and metabolism by human indigenous and probiotic Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains. Alcohol Alcohol 35:561–568

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL (1951) Protein measurement with the folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Nanji AA, Mendenhall CL, French SW (1989) Beef fat prevents alcoholic liver disease in the rat. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 13:15–19

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Julkunen RJ, di Padova C, Lieber CS (1985) First pass metabolism of ethanol: a gastrointestinal barrier against the systemic toxicity of ethanol. Life Sci 37:567–573

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Roine R, Gentry RT, Hernández-Muñoz R et al (1990) Aspirin increases blood alcohol concentrations in humans after ingestion of ethanol. JAMA 264:2406–2408

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Caballería J, Baraona E, Rodamilans M, Lieber CS (1989) Effects of cimetidine on gastric alcohol dehydrogenase activity and blood ethanol levels. Gastroenterology 96:388–392

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hernández-Muñoz R, Caballería J, Uppal R et al (1990) Human gastric alcohol dehydrogenase: its inhibition by H2-receptor antagonists, and its effects on the bioavailability of ethanol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 14:946–950

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Salaspuro M (1996) Bacteriocolonic pathway for ethanol oxidation. Ann Med 28:195–200

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Frezza M, di Padova C, Pozzato G et al (1990) High blood alcohol levels in women. The role of decreased gastric alcohol dehydrogenase activity and first-pass metabolism. N Engl J Med 322:95–99

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Chiva M, Soriano G, Rochat I et al (2002) Effect of Lactobacillus johnsonii La1 and antioxidants on intestinal flora and bacteria translocation in rats with experimental cirrhosis. J Hepatol 37:456–462

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Qing L, Duan ZP, Ha DK et al (2004) Symbiotic modulation of gut flora: effect on minimal hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis. Hepatology 39:1441–1449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Riordan SM, Skinner NA, McIver CJ et al (2007) Symbiotic-associated improvement in liver function in cirrhotic patients: relation to changes in circulating cytokine messenger RNA and protein levels. Microb Ecol Health Dis 19:7–16

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Bengmark S (2005) Symbiotics and the mucosal barrier in critically ill patients. Curr Opin Gastroenterol 21:712–716

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Woodcock NP, McNaught CE, Morgan DR et al (2004) An investigation into the effect of a probiotic on gut immune function in surgical patients. Clin Nutr 23:1069–1073

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Tok D, Ilkgul O, Bengmark S et al (2007) Pretreatment with pro- and symbiotics reduces peritonitis-induced acute lung injury in rats. J Trauma 62:880–885

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Professor Jin Xueyuan, Rehabilitation Research of China, for helpful comments on the experiment, and we also thank San Zhu Corporation for funding and for providing the probiotic.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no commercial or financial interest in the publication of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, 100054, Beijing, China

    Liu Qing

  2. China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China

    Tailing Wang

  3. Deng Shi Dong Kou, Tong Fu Tia Dao no. 8, 4-903, Beijing, China

    Liu Qing

Authors
  1. Liu Qing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tailing Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liu Qing.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Qing, L., Wang, T. Lactic acid bacteria prevent alcohol-induced steatohepatitis in rats by acting on the pathways of alcohol metabolism. Clin Exp Med 8, 187–191 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-008-0002-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-008-0002-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation