The Effect of a Synbiotic Diet on Bone Structure in Aging Male Mice

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effect of a synbiotic diet on the structural properties of femur bones in aging male mice. We hypothesize that a synbiotic diet will have an enhancing effect on bone structure that results in improved bone strength. Mice were divided into three groups: 10‐mo‐old sacrificed at baseline (BSL), 10‐mo‐old fed a standard rodent diet for 4 months (CON), and 10‐mo‐old fed the standard rodent diet enhanced with synbiotics for 4 months (SYN). The CON and SYN diets were isocaloric, with the synbiotic diet containing a prebiotic fructooligosaccharide (3% wt) and the probiotic strains Lactococcus lactis lactis and Lactobacillus acidophilus (1% wt). Images of the femur were obtained using micro‐computed tomography. NIH ImageJ was used to measure cortical wall thickness and cross‐sectional areas of total bone, cortical bone, and medullary cavity of the cortical shaft at 30%, 50%, and 70% of total bone length. Preliminary data shows that remodeling occurred between ages 10 to 14 months in mice fed the CON and SYN diets, with an enhancing effect of the SYN diet. Specifically, mice fed the control diet showed an age‐related decrease in cortical wall thickness (50% and 70% regions), while mice fed the synbiotic diet maintained (70% region) or increased (30% and 50% regions) cortical wall thickness with aging from 10 to 14 months. Because of these structural enhancements, it is predicted that the femur bones of mice fed the synbiotic diet will have improved bone strength. Supported by CSU‐Pueblo SEED Grant and Idaho State University.