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Copyright ©2008 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 28, 2008; 14(20): 3188-3194
Published online May 28, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.3188
Effect of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG intervention on global serum lipidomic profiles in healthy adults
Riina A Kekkonen, Marko Sysi-Aho, Tuulikki Seppänen-Laakso, Ilkka Julkunen, Heikki Vapaatalo, Matej Orešič, Riitta Korpela
Riina A Kekkonen, Heikki Vapaatalo, Riitta Korpela, University of Helsinki, Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
Riina A Kekkonen, Riitta Korpela, Valio Ltd, Research Centre, Helsinki 00370, Finland
Marko Sysi-Aho, Tuulikki Seppänen-Laakso, Matej Orešič, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo 02044, Finland
Ilkka Julkunen, National Public Health Institute, Department of Viral Diseases and Immunology, Helsinki 00300, Finland
Author contributions: Kekkonen RA, Korpela R, Vapaatalo H and Julkunen I designed and conceived the clinical intervention; Seppänen-Laakso T performed the lipidomic analysis; Orešič M and Sysi-Aho M analysed the data; Kekkonen RA wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Riitta Korpela, PhD, Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, PO Box 63, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland. riitta.korpela@valio.fi
Telephone: +358-10-3813026
Fax: +358-10-3813019
Received: February 2, 2008
Revised: April 15, 2008
Accepted: April 22, 2008
Published online: May 28, 2008
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the effect of three weeks’ intervention with a probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) bacteria on global serum lipidomic profiles and evaluate whether the changes in inflammatory variables (CRP, TNF-α and IL-6) are reflected in the global lipidomic profiles of healthy adults.

METHODS: We performed UPLC/MS-based global lipidomic platform analysis of serum samples (n = 26) in a substudy of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled 3-wk clinical intervention trial investigating the immunomodulatory effects of probiotics in healthy adults.

RESULTS: A total of 407 lipids were identified, corresponding to 13 different lipid classes. Serum samples showed decreases in the levels of lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoGPCho), sphingomyelins (SM) and several glycerophosphatidylcholines (GPCho), while triacylglycerols (TAG) were mainly increased in the probiotic LGG group during the intervention. Among the inflammatory variables, IL-6 was moderately associated by changes in global lipidomic profiles, with the top-ranked lipid associated with IL-6 being the proinflammatory LysoGPCho (20:4). There was a weak association between the lipidomic profiles and the two other inflammatory markers, TNF-α and CRP.

CONCLUSION: This was the first study to investigate the effects of probiotic intervention on global lipidomic profiles in humans. There are indications that probiotic LGG intervention may lead to changes in serum global lipid profiles, as reflected in decreased GPCho, LysoGPCho and SM as well as mainly increased TAG.

Keywords: Probiotic; Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG; Lipidomic; Inflammatory mediators; Healthy adults