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Bifidobacterium lactis Probio-M8 improves bone metabolism in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis, possibly by
Feiyan Zhao1, Zhenguo Guo2,3, Lai-Yu Kwok1
1Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Dairy Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, Inner Mongolia, China.
Purpose:
Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) is usually managed by conventional drug treatment. However, prolonged use of these drugs cause side effects. Gut microbiota may be a potential target for treatment of PMO. This work was a three-month intervention trial aiming to evaluate the added effect of probiotics as adjunctive treatment for PMO.
Methods:
Forty patients with PMO were randomized into probiotic (n = 20; received Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Probio-M8 [Probio-M8], calcium, calcitriol) and placebo (n = 20; received placebo material, calcium, calcitriol) groups. The bone mineral density of patients was measured at month 0 (0 M; baseline) and month 3 (3 M; after three-month intervention). Blood and fecal samples were collected 0 M and 3 M. Only 15 and 12 patients from Probio-M8 and placebo groups, respectively, provided complete fecal samples for gut microbiota analysis.
Results:
No significant change was observed in the bone mineral density of patients at 3 M. Co-administering Probio-M8 improved the bone metabolism, reflected by an increased vitamin D3 level and decreased PTH and procalcitonin levels in serum at 3 M. Fecal metagenomic analysis revealed modest changes in the gut microbiome in both groups at 3 M. Interestingly, Probio-M8 co-administration affected the gut microbial interactive correlation network, particularly the short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria. Probio-M8 co-administration significantly increased genes encoding some carbohydrate metabolism pathways (including ABC transporters, the phosphotransferase system, and fructose and mannose metabolism) and a choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase.
Conclusions:
Co-administering Probio-M8 with conventional drugs/supplements was more efficacious than conventional drugs/supplements alone in managing PMO. Our study shed insights into the beneficial mechanism of probiotic adjunctive treatment.
Registration Number Of Clinical Trial:
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (identifier number: ChiCTR1800019268).
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