The probiotic Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055 inhibits enlargement of visceral adipocytes and upregulation of serum soluble adhesion molecule (sICAM-1) in rats

The probiotic Lactobacillus gasseri strain SBT2055 (LG2055) was tested for its anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects to determine health benefits of consuming this organism and to explore possible relationships between those effects. Visceral adipocyte size was used as a measure of obesity, and the level of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in the blood as an inflammatory marker that is elevated in obesity. Comparisons were made among rats fed a 10% fat diet based on non-fermented milk, those fed a diet containing yoghurt fermented with conventional yoghurt bacteria, and those fed a diet containing yoghurt together with the probiotic LG2055. These experiments demonstrated that the yoghurt containing LG2055, but not the control yoghurt, inhibited the enlargement of visceral adipocytes and prevented upregulation of sICAM-1. These findings indicate the utility of specific probiotics and suggest a correlation between the anti-obesity effect and the anti-inflammatory action of LG2055.