Probiotic Modulation of the Gut-Ovary and Gut-Myometrium Axes: An In Vitro Study

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Reproductive Biology
• Immunology

Background:

• Gut microbiota significantly impacts female reproductive health via hormonal, immune, and metabolic pathways.
• Interactions between the gut and reproductive organs (gut-myometrium and gut-ovary axes) are crucial for reproductive homeostasis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of a specific probiotic blend (Lactobacillus crispatus, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Bifidobacterium bifidum) on the gut-myometrium and gut-ovary axes.
• To elucidate the mechanisms underlying probiotic modulation of reproductive tissue function.

Main Methods:

• In vitro study using intestinal epithelial cells exposed to individual probiotics or a combination.
• Assessment of intestinal barrier integrity, probiotic activity, and short-chain fatty acid production.
• Application of basolateral metabolites to myometrial and ovarian cells to evaluate viability, proliferation, oxidative stress, inflammation, signaling pathways, and hormone production.

Main Results:

• All tested probiotics improved intestinal cell viability and barrier function.
• The combined probiotic demonstrated synergistic effects, increasing butyrate production, enhancing myometrial proliferation, and reducing oxidative stress (ROS) and inflammation (TNF-α).
• The probiotic mixture modulated oxytocin signaling in myometrial cells and activated ERK/MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways in ovarian cells, normalizing specific gene expressions and increasing LH and FSH secretion.

Conclusions:

• A multi-strain probiotic formulation can positively influence reproductive tissue homeostasis.
• The study provides mechanistic insights into how gut-reproductive axis interactions mediated by probiotics impact female reproductive health.
• These findings suggest potential therapeutic applications for probiotics in managing reproductive health conditions.