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Published on: August 16, 2020
Extracellular vesicles and pasteurized cells derived from Akkermansia muciniphila protect against high-fat induced
Fatemeh Ashrafian1,2, Shahrbanoo Keshavarz Azizi Raftar1, Arezou Lari3
1Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Several studies have shown that probiotics have beneficial effects on weight control and metabolic health. In addition to probiotics, recent studies have investigated the effects of paraprobiotics and postbiotics. Therefore, we evaluated the preventive effects of live and pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila MucT (A. muciniphila) and its extracellular vesicles (EVs) on HFD-induced obesity.
Results:
The results showed that body weight, metabolic tissues weight, food consumption, and plasma metabolic parameters were increased in the HFD group, whereas A. muciniphila preventive treatments inhibited these HFD. The effects of pasteurized A. muciniphila and its extracellular vesicles were more noticeable than its active form. The HFD led to an increase in the colonic, adipose tissue, and liver inflammations and increased the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and homeostasis. Nevertheless, these effects were inhibited in mice that were administered A. muciniphila and its EVs. The assessment of the gut microbiota revealed significant differences in the microbiota composition after feeding with HFD. However, all treatments restored the alterations in some bacterial genera and closely resemble the control group. Also, the correlation analysis indicated that some gut microbiota might be associated with obesity-related indices.
Conclusions:
Pasteurized A. muciniphila and its EVs, as paraprobiotic and postbiotic agents, were found to play a key role in the regulation of metabolic functions to prevent obesity, probably by affecting the gut-adipose-liver axis.
Insights
Pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila and its extracellular vesicles, acting as paraprobiotics and postbiotics, effectively prevent obesity by regulating metabolic functions. These interventions show promise in managing high-fat diet-induced metabolic dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Metabolic Health
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Probiotics, paraprobiotics, and postbiotics influence weight control and metabolic health.
- Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) is a bacterium of interest for metabolic regulation.
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as bioactive components.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the preventive effects of live and pasteurized A. muciniphila and its EVs on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity.
- To compare the efficacy of different forms of A. muciniphila and its EVs.
Main Methods:
- Administration of live A. muciniphila, pasteurized A. muciniphila, and A. muciniphila EVs to mice on an HFD.
- Measurement of body weight, tissue weight, food consumption, and plasma metabolic parameters.
- Analysis of inflammatory markers, gene expression related to lipid metabolism, and gut microbiota composition.
Main Results:
- HFD induced obesity, increased metabolic tissue weight, food consumption, and plasma metabolic parameters.
- Preventive treatments with A. muciniphila, particularly pasteurized form and EVs, inhibited HFD-induced effects.
- Treatments reduced inflammation in the colon, adipose tissue, and liver, and modulated lipid metabolism gene expression.
- Gut microbiota composition was altered by HFD but restored by treatments, with correlations found between microbiota and obesity indices.
Conclusions:
- Pasteurized A. muciniphila and its EVs are effective paraprobiotic and postbiotic agents for obesity prevention.
- These agents play a key role in regulating metabolic functions, likely via the gut-adipose-liver axis.
- A. muciniphila and its EVs offer a promising strategy for managing HFD-induced obesity and associated metabolic disturbances.
