Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HG20 attenuates II type collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis in rats via anti-inflammatory and inhibition of apoptosis

Aims This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HG20 (HG20) on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats and its mechanism. Methods and Results CIA rats were established by injecting bovine type II collagen for 7 days, and treated by intragastric administration HG20 for 21 days. The foot palm temperature and arthritis score were measured once a week. The pathological changes in the knee joint were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The levels of cytokines were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, and the effects of HG20 on inflammatory and apoptosis pathway of spleen cells were detected by western blot analysis. The results indicated that HG20 reduced the joint swelling degree and foot palm temperature, inhibited the development of joint histopathology, decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, down-regulate the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines by nuclear factor kappa-B pathway, and inhibited the apoptosis of spleen cells by inhibiting phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway and regulating apoptosis pathways. Conclusions HG20 had an adjuvant therapeutic effect on arthritis in CIA rats, and its mechanism might be related to the inflammatory and apoptosis pathway. Significance and Impact of Study These results revealed that HG20 could be used as a functional probiotic in the field of food and medical, and which played a potential role in the prevention and treatment of arthritis.