Clostridium Butyricum MIYAIRI 588 Improves High-Fat Diet-Induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rats

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a common liver disease, as its prevalence has increased markedly in recent decades. The aim of the present study was to examine the improving effect of Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI 588 (CBM588), a probiotic in clinical use for antibiotic-associated diarrhea, against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced fatty liver in rats. After feeding HFD or HFD coated with CBM588 (HFD-CBM) for 12 weeks, we evaluated the hepatic mRNA levels related to lipid metabolism, and then assessed the hepatic protein levels of several transcription factors regulating these lipogenic gene expressions. The HFD-CBM group had decreased accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver compared with the HFD group. The HFD-CBM group had significantly decreased diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) 2 mRNA in the liver compared with the HFD group, whereas DGAT1 mRNA did not change between the HFD group and the HFD-CBM group. Moreover, the HFD-CBM group had significantly increased hepatic mRNA regulating cholesterol catabolism enzymes and excretion transporters. Correspondingly, the HFD-CBM588 groups had increased hepatic protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha/gamma and liver X receptor alpha compared with the HFD group. The HFD-CBM group had accelerated excretion of total bile acid and non-esterified fatty acid in the feces. CBM588 intake may have novel potential for improving NAFLD.