Lactobacillus paracasei Has Anti-Inflammatory Effect on the Heart Failure Induced by Isoproterenol in Rats

Background: Heart Failure (HF) has become one of the most prevalent cardiovascular problems worldwide. Considering the beneficial effects of probiotics on human health, we aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of oral administration of Lactobacillus paracasei in HF induced by isoproterenol. Methods: Forty Wistar male rats weighing 80g on average were randomly assigned to five groups of eight each: control, probiotic, HF model, prophylaxis including probiotic + HF, and treatment (HF + probiotic). The rats were treated and examined over 30 days. Heart failure was induced by the subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol (5 mg/kg) once daily for 10 days. At the completion of the study, the ratios of Body, Heart, and Left Ventricle Weights (BW, HW & LVW), serum TNF-α levels, measured by ELISA, myocardial histopathological lesions were determined and compared among the groups. Cardiac hypertrophy was defined by comparing the LVW to total body weight for each animal. Results: The LVW and LVW/HW ratio were significantly increased in the rats with HF (P<0.05). In the treatment group, the LVW/HW and serum TNF-α level were lower compared to those in the HF group. Also, the infiltration of inflammatory cells, necrosis, and myocardial hypertrophy were remarkably lower than those in the HF group. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that the oral administration of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei-8700:2 can reduce the cardiac hypertrophy, failure and inflammation induced by the administration of isoproterenol in rats. Therefore, the study results suggest a novel approach for the management and potential prevention of heart failure.