Abstract Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in reproductive women, which is characterized by depleted level of lactic acid bacteria and overgrowth of anaerobes such as Gardnerella vaginalis spp. Lactic acid bacteria have been known to be beneficial for amelioration of BV, since they produce antimicrobial substances against G. vaginalis spp. The objectives of this study were to characterize different fractions of cell-free supernatant of Lactobacillus paracasei CH88 (LCFS) and investigate antibacterial activity of the LCFS fractions against G. vaginalis in-vitro and in-vivo. Antibacterial activity of the LCFS was stable during thermal treatment up to 120 °C for 30 min and maintained at pH ranging from 3.0 to 13.0 except pH 5.0. Fraction below 3 kDa of the LCFS partially lost its antibacterial activity after treatment with proteolytic enzymes. Precipitated protein fraction below 3 kDa of the LCFS (< 3 kDa LCFSP) inhibited the growth and biofilm formation of G. vaginalis . Treatment of L. paracasei CH88 or the < 3 kDa LCFSP attenuated G. vaginalis -induced BV in mice by inhibiting the growth of G. vaginalis , reducing exfoliation of vaginal epithelial cells, and regulating immune response. These results suggest that L. paracasei CH88 may have potential in ameliorating G. vaginalis -induced BV.
Choline has been considered to be linked to an increase of cardiovascular risk. It can be metabolized to trimethylamine by gut microbiota and further converted by hepatic flavin monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) to trimethylamine‐N‐oxide (TMAO) which is known to be a putative promoter of cardiovascular disease. However, the effects of excessive choline administration on the cardiovascular risk, especially in SD rats, have been little studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of excessive choline administration on serum TMAO level, aortic wall thickness, and expression of hepatic genes responsible for cholesterol metabolism in female SD rats. Twenty female SD rats were fed AIN93‐G diet with or without various concentrations of choline chloride (1.5%, 2.25%, 3%) (w/w) in autoclaved water for 8 weeks. Aortic wall section of the rat was stained by hematoxylin and eosin. Serum TMAO and choline levels were determined by UPLC‐Synapt G2‐Si. Hepatic mRNA expression of FMO3, farnesoid X receptor (FXR), liver X receptor α (LXRα), sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 2 (SREBP‐2), cholesterol 7 alpha‐hydroxylase (CYP7A1), and low‐density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) was determined by quantitative PCR. Serum TMAO level was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the rat fed 1.5% choline‐containing water (1.5C) than control group (25.03 ± 14.27 vs. 0.34 ± 0.35 μM). However, serum choline levels were not significantly (p>0.05) different (18.01 ± 7.15 vs. 23.13 ± 11.89 μM). Aortic wall of the 1.5C seemed to be thicker than the control group. Relative mRNA expression of CYP7A1 was down‐regulated in the 1.5C compared to the control group (0.32 ± 0.24 vs. 1.00 ± 0.56, p<0.05), whereas that of FXR was up‐regulated (1.59 ± 0.60 vs. 1.00 ± 0.39, p<0.05). However, mRNA expressions of hepatic FMO3, LDLR, LXRα, and SREBP‐2 were not significantly (p>0.05) different. Excessive choline administration seemed to be able to affect cardiovascular system in female SD rats via production of TMAO and regulation of CYP7A1 and FXR. Additional research about secondary bile acid produced by gut bacteria is needed. Support or Funding Information This research has been supported by National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF‐ 2017R1D1A1B03028407) funded by the Ministry of Education of Korea. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .
This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of ellagitannins from black raspberry seeds in vivo and the structural effects of ellagitannins on glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion and mouse bitter taste receptor (mTAS2R).