Pediococcus acidilactici AS185 attenuates early atherosclerosis development through inhibition of lipid regulation and inflammation in rats

Abstract

Abstract Pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis (AS) development are linked to dyslipidemia and inflammation. Pediococcus acidilactici AS185, a probiotic, was isolated from traditional farmers’ soybean paste (Yanji, China). This study aimed to assess P. acidilactici AS185 anti-atherosclerotic effects and elucidate molecular mechanisms of action using an early AS model of SD rats fed a high-fat diet with intraperitoneal vitamin D3 (VD3) injections. For 8 weeks, model rats received P. acidilactici AS185 via gavage once/day. Post-treatment serum levels of inflammatory mediators, lipids, adhesion molecules, aortic histopathological characteristics and AS-related aortic protein expression levels were assessed. P. acidilactici AS185 administration markedly increased serum HDL-C and IL-10 levels, while reducing serum TG, LDL-C, TC, Ox-LDL, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels. Notably, P. acidilactici AS185 inhibited p-p38 and ERK1/2 MAPK pathways and decreased Ox-LDL and CD36 expression to attenuate early AS by altering lipid profiles and MAPK-signaling-based inflammation.