Protective effect ofLactobacillus salivariusLi01 on thioacetamide-induced acute liver injury and hyperammonaemia

The gut microbiota plays pivotal roles in liver disease onset and progression. The protective effects ofLactobacillus salivariusLi01 on liver diseases have been reported. In this study, we aimed to detect the protective effect ofL. salivariusLi01 on thioacetamide (TAA)-induced acute liver injury and hyperammonaemia. C57BL/6 mice were separated into three groups and given a gavage ofL. salivariusLi01 or phosphate-buffered saline for 7 days. Acute liver injury and hyperammonaemia were induced with an intraperitoneal TAA injection.L. salivariusLi01 decreased mortality and serum transaminase levels and improved histological liver damage caused by TAA. Serum inflammatory cytokine and chemokine and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) concentrations, nuclear factor kappa B (NF kappa B) pathway activation and macrophage and neutrophil infiltration into the liver were significantly alleviated byL. salivariusLi01.L. salivariusLi01 also reinforced gut barrier and reshaped the perturbed gut microbiota by upregulating Bacteroidetes andAkkermansiarichness and downregulating Proteobacteria,Ruminococcaceae_UCG_014andHelicobacterrichness. Plasma and faecal ammonia levels declined noticeably in the Li01 group, accompanied by improvements in cognitive function, neuro-inflammation and relative brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression. Our results indicated thatL. salivariusLi01 could be considered a potential probiotic in acute liver injury and hepatic encephalopathy (HE).