Search

Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative disorder, induces pain, joint inflammation, and destruction of the articular cartilage matrix. Probiotic complex, rosavin, and zinc have been used as dietary supplements that exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, there is no evidence demonstrating a synergic effect in OA. This study aims to determine whether combination with probiotic complex, rosavin, and zinc decreases progression of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA rat model. The combination improved pain levels by preventing cartilage damage. The expression of proinflammatory cytokines and catabolic factors was reduced by the combination within the joint tissue. However, the combination increased anti-inflammatory cytokines as well as the anabolic factor production. The gene level of catabolic factors was decreased with treatment of the combination in chondrocytes isolated from OA patients. These results suggest that the combination can improve MIA development through the inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines and cartilage destruction, thus playing a key role as a therapeutic candidate for OA treatment.

Disruption of the balance among the microbiota, epithelial cells, and resident immune cells in the intestine is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Probiotics exert protective effects against IBD, and probiotic commensal Lactobacillus species are common inhabitants of the natural microbiota, especially in the gut. To investigate the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus on the development of IBD, L. acidophilus was administered orally in mice with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. DSS-induced damage and the therapeutic effect of L. acidophilus were investigated. Treatment with L. acidophilus attenuated the severity of DSS-induced colitis. Specifically, it suppressed proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β, and IL-17 in the colon tissues, which are produced by T helper (Th) 17 cells. Moreover, in vitro L. acidophilus treatment directly induced T regulatory (Treg) cells and the production of IL-10, whereas the production of IL-17 was suppressed in splenocytes. In addition, we found that L. acidophilus treatment decreased the levels of α-smooth muscle actin, a marker of activated myofibroblasts, and type I collagen compared with control mice. These results suggest that L. acidophilus may be a novel treatment for IBD by modulating the balance between Th17 and Treg cells, as well as fibrosis development.

Probiotic complex, zinc, and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are recognized dietary supplements with an anti-inflammatory role. Although these supplementations are individually known to benefit rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there is no evidence suggesting any synergic effect. The primary goal of this study is to determine whether probiotic complex, zinc, and CoQ10 attenuate the development of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). The combination of probiotic complex, zinc, and CoQ10 reduced CIA severity by downregulating the levels of IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a in serum. Joint inflammation, bone destruction, and cartilage damage were also improved by the complex. There was a decrease in the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-17, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the joint synovium. The balance between helper T 17 (Th17) cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells was shown to be controlled reciprocally by the complex. These findings suggest that the combination of probiotic complex, zinc, and CoQ10 can ameliorate the development of CIA by inhibiting the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and is thus an important therapeutic candidate for RA treatment.