Plant-Based Nutritional Supplementation Attenuates LPS-Induced Low-Grade Systemic Activation

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Immunology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Systemic inflammation contributes to chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, and neurodegeneration.
• Phytochemical-rich diets show potential in mitigating inflammatory processes and disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation on metabolic health, physical performance, and neurotransmitter levels in mice.
• To evaluate the efficacy of plant-based nutritional supplementation in counteracting LPS-induced inflammatory and metabolic alterations.

Main Methods:

• Mice were administered acute or chronic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections to induce systemic inflammation.
• Assessed were glucose and insulin tolerance, urinary neopterin levels, striatal neurotransmitter concentrations (dopamine, DOPAC, serotonin), and performance in an incremental loading test.
• Evaluated the impact of a supplemental plant-based diet on these parameters.

Main Results:

• LPS administration impaired glucose and insulin tolerance and increased urinary neopterin, indicating systemic inflammation.
• LPS reduced striatal dopamine and DOPAC levels but did not significantly alter serotonin.
• Plant-based diet supplementation reversed LPS-induced performance deficits and supported immune function and skeletal muscle mitochondria.

Conclusions:

• Plant-based nutritional supplementation effectively attenuated the adverse metabolic and neurological effects of LPS-induced inflammation.
• Dietary phytochemicals may play a crucial role in managing inflammation-related metabolic and neurological disorders.