Effect of probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii administration on lipid peroxidation of diabetic mice hepatocytes

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease that leads every year to the death of millions of people around the world, because of the complications resulting from hyperglycemia affecting several organs and metabolic function. In experimental models, DM type 1 has shown to change the rate of lipid degradation, causing fat accumulation and hepatocyte injury. A high formation of free radicals, as a characteristic of the disease, causes increase in oxidative stress that can lead to lipid peroxidation, protein or DNA rupture and hepatocyte death. The cell injuries and the increased level of reactive oxygen species amplify inflammatory process in the liver. Histological analyses of the organ in several studies on DM have shown the appearance of granular vacuoles, infiltration of inflammatory mediators, initial necrosis, reduction of the cell size and others structure modifications. On the other side, recent studies have shown a benefic effect of the probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii on inflammation and hepatocyte injury, because of its effect on fat steatosis. Therefore, the main objective of the present study is to investigate the effects of the administration of the yeast S. boulardii in STZ-diabetic mice, analyzing lipoperoxidation and the possible changes in the hepatocytes morphology. (AU)