Protective effects of Lactobacillus plantarum C88 on chronic ethanol-induced liver injury in mice

The protective effects of L. plantarum C88 against chronic alcohol-induced liver injury in mice were investigated. The pretreatment with L. plantarum C88 significantly decreased the levels of alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase in chronic alcohol-challenged mice. L. plantarum C88 was also found to suppress the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and enhance the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver, which are well-correlated with the downregulation of hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 and upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Moreover, L. plantarum C88 significantly abrogated the increased serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-γ induced by ethanol. L. plantarum C88 ameliorated gut leakiness by upregulating the expressions of tight junction proteins and suppressed the endotoxin-mediated inflammation by decreasing P38 phosphorylation and down-regulating NF-κB. These results demonstrate that L. plantarum C88 efficiently protects against alcoholic chronic liver injury.