Amelioration of Hepatic Steatosis in Mice through Bacteroides uniformis CBA7346-Mediated Regulation of High-Fat Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance and Lipogenesis

Abstract

Dietary habits and gut microbiota play an essential role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and related factors such as insulin resistance and de novo lipogenesis. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of <i>Bacteroides uniformis</i> CBA7346, isolated from the gut of healthy Koreans, on mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD. Administration of <i>B. uniformis</i> CBA7346 reduced body and liver weight gain, serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, liver steatosis, and liver triglyceride levels in mice on an HFD; the strain also decreased homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance values, as well as serum cholesterol, triglyceride, lipopolysaccharide, leptin, and adiponectin levels in mice on an HFD. Moreover, <i>B. uniformis</i> CBA7346 controlled fatty liver disease by attenuating steatosis and inflammation and regulating de novo lipogenesis-related proteins in mice on an HFD. Taken together, these findings suggest that <i>B. uniformis</i> CBA7346 ameliorates HFD-induced NAFLD by reducing insulin resistance and regulating de novo lipogenesis in obese mice.