Bifidobacterium longum R0175 Protects Rats against <scp>d</scp> -Galactosamine-Induced Acute Liver Failure

Abstract

Acute liver failure is a severe liver disorder that poses considerable global challenges. Previous studies on <i>Bifidobacterium longum</i> R0175 have mainly focused on its psychotropic functions. The current research focused on the protective efficacy of <i>B. longum</i> R0175 against acute liver failure caused by d-galactosamine (d-GalN) in rats and further tested the hypothesis that <i>B. longum</i> R0175 exerted liver-protective effects by affecting the intestinal microbiota and fecal metabolites and by inhibiting inflammation. We found that oral gavage of <i>B. longum</i> R0175 markedly reduced the severity of liver injury in d-GalN-treated rats, as evidenced by decreased serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total bile acids (TBAs) (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Moreover, the plasma concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1β [IL-1β] and tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α]) and chemokines (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF], macrophage chemoattractant protein 1 [MCP-1], chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 1 [CXCL1], chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 5 [CCL5], and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α [MIP-1α]) were also markedly reduced (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Pretreatment with <i>B. longum</i> R0175 partially reversed the gut microbiota dysbiosis in rats with liver injury by increasing the relative abundances of potentially beneficial bacteria, such as <i>Alloprevotella</i> spp., and decreasing the relative abundances of potentially harmful bacteria, such as <i>Acetatifactor muris</i>, <i>Butyricimonas</i> spp., and <i>Oscillibacter</i> spp. Furthermore, <i>B. longum</i> R0175 administration partially improved the metabolic function of the intestinal microbes, as indicated by the decreased level of lithocholic acid found in the feces.<b>IMPORTANCE</b> Our research investigated the protective and preventive roles of <i>B. longum</i> R0175 in a rat model of acute liver failure. The results illustrated that this probiotic strain exhibited protective effects in rats with acute liver failure. Thus, <i>B. longum</i> R0175 showed clinical application prospects that required further exploration.