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The Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Genetic and Metabolic Profiles in Patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

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Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of probiotic supplementation on genetic and metabolic profiles in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) who were not on oral hypoglycemic agents. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in 48 patients with GDM. Participants were randomly divided into two groups to intake either probiotic capsule containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus fermentum (2 × 109 CFU/g each) (n = 24) or placebo (n = 24) for 6 weeks. Probiotic intake upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (P = 0.01), transforming growth factor beta (P = 0.002) and vascular endothelial growth factor (P = 0.006), and downregulated gene expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (P = 0.03) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of subjects with GDM. In addition, probiotic supplementation significantly decreased fasting plasma glucose (β, − 3.43 mg/dL; 95% CI, − 6.48, − 0.38; P = 0.02), serum insulin levels (β, − 2.29 μIU/mL; 95% CI, − 3.60, − 0.99; P = 0.001), and insulin resistance (β, − 0.67; 95% CI, − 1.05, − 0.29; P = 0.001) and significantly increased insulin sensitivity (β, 0.009; 95% CI, 0.004, 0.01; P = 0.001) compared with the placebo. Additionally, consuming probiotic significantly decreased triglycerides (P = 0.02), VLDL-cholesterol (P = 0.02), and total-/HDL-cholesterol ratio (P = 0.006) and significantly increased HDL-cholesterol levels (P = 0.03) compared with the placebo. Finally, probiotic administration led to a significant reduction in plasma malondialdehyde (P < 0.001), and a significant elevation in plasma nitric oxide (P = 0.01) and total antioxidant capacity (P = 0.01) was observed compared with the placebo. Overall, probiotic supplementation for 6 weeks to patients with GDM had beneficial effects on gene expression related to insulin and inflammation, glycemic control, few lipid profiles, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the staff of Naghavi Clinic (Kashan, Iran) for their assistance in this project. We are grateful to thank LactoCare®, Zisttakhmir Company, in Tehran that provided probiotic capsules for the present study.

Funding

This study was supported by the research grant provided by the Research Deputy of Kashan University of Medical Sciences (KAUMS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

    Mahtab Babadi, Ahmad Khorshidi, Alireza Mafi, Rana Shafabakhsh & Mahbobeh Satari

  2. Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, I.R., Iran

    Esmat Aghadavood, Fereshteh Bahmani & Zatollah Asemi

  3. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

    Mansooreh Samimi & Elham Kavossian

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  1. Mahtab Babadi
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  2. Ahmad Khorshidi
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  3. Esmat Aghadavood
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  4. Mansooreh Samimi
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Contributions

ZA: conception, design, and statistical analysis, drafting of the manuscript, and supervised the study.

MB, AK, EA, FB, AM, RS, and MS: data collection and manuscript drafting.

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Correspondence to Ahmad Khorshidi or Zatollah Asemi.

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Clinical trial registration number

http://www.irct.ir: IRCT20171010036697N1

This study was registered in the Iranian website (www.irct.ir) for registration of clinical trials (http://www.irct.ir: IRCT20171010036697N1).

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Babadi, M., Khorshidi, A., Aghadavood, E. et al. The Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Genetic and Metabolic Profiles in Patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Probiotics & Antimicro. Prot. 11, 1227–1235 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-018-9490-z

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