Lactobacillus rhamnosusGG reduces hepatic fibrosis in a model of chronic liver disease in rats

Background: The intestinal dysbiosis is common in chronic liver disease and can induce to inflammatory responses and mediate the collagen deposition in the liver.

Aim: To evaluate the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) for the treatment of liver fibrosis in a model of chronic cholestatic liver disease in rats.

Methods: Male adult Wistar rats (n = 29) were submitted to common bile duct ligation (BDL groups) or manipulation of common bile duct without ligation (Ctrl groups).Two weeks after surgery, each group was randomly divided to receive 1 ml of PBS (Ctrl and BDL) or PBS containing 2.5 x 107 CFU of LGG (Ctrl-P and BDL-P) through gavages for 14 days. Euthanasia occurred 33 days after surgery when samples of blood and liver tissue were collected.

Results: The hepatic gene expression of Tlr4, Tnfα, IL-6, Tgfβ, and metalloproteinase-2 and -9 were higher in the BDL groups in comparison to Ctrl. The ductular reaction evaluated by immunocontent of cytokeratin-7 (CK7) and the content of collagen were increased in BDL groups. Also, there was an imbalance in the antioxidant defenses (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and an increase in the oxidative stress marker sulfhydryl in BDL groups. The treatment with LGG significantly reduced gene expression of IL-6, collagen deposition, and ductular reaction in hepatic tissue of animals from BDL-P groups.

Conclusion: The treatment with the probiotic LGG was able to reduce liver fibrosis, ductular reaction, and hepatic gene expression of IL-6 in a model of cholestatic liver disease in rats.