Clostridium butyricum ameliorates atherosclerotic inflammation through regulation of gut microbiota

Background Atherosclerosis (AS) is closely associated with gut microbiota that plays an important role in regulating intestinal mucosal barrier function, chronic inflammation, and immune homeostasis. Thus, targeting the modulation of gut microbitoa repesents a promising strategy for the control of AS. Clostridium butyricum ( C. butyricum ) serving as a kind of probiotics has shown a variety of biological benefits, but it’s impact on atherosclerosis remains poorly understood. Methods Sixty male ApoE ^−/− mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group (CON), model group (MOD), C. butyricum control group (CON/CB), and C. butyricum intervention model group (MOD/CB). After 10 weeks of intervention, mice were euthanized and associated indications were investigated. Results C. butyricum intervention alleviated atherosclerotic lesion and lipids indicators. Moreover, C. butyricum significantly reshapted the gut microbiota composition and enhanced the gut barrier. Furthermore, C. butyricum inhibited inflammation by reducing the levels of pro-inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α in the plasma and aortic tissue of the MOD group, as well as upregulating the expression of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10. Further verification exhibited that the anti-inflammatory effect of C. butyricum may attribute to the regulation of immunological IFN-γ ⁺ Th1, IL-4 ⁺ Th2, IL-17A ⁺ Th17 and Foxp3 ⁺ Treg, F4/80 ⁺ macrophages (iNOS ⁺ M1/CD206 ⁺ M2) by downregulating LPS/TLR4/NF-κB levels, had no significant regulatory effect on monocyte subsets (Ly6C ^high /Ly6C ^low ). Conclusion C. butyricum intervention exerts anti-AS effects by reshaping gut homeostasis via the regulation of immune cells, providing a potential strategy for clinical treatment.