Department of Marine Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
Reproduction. 2010 Dec;140(6):953-9. doi: 10.1530/REP-10-0145. Epub 2010 Sep 10.
It is well known established that reproduction is sensitive to the state of energy reserves, and that there is a balance between energy homeostasis and fertility. In this view, this study examined the effects of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus, as a feed additive, on zebrafish (Danio rerio) fecundity. Ten days of probiotic treatment modulate the gene expression of neuropeptide hormones and metabolic signals, such as kiss1, kiss2 and leptin both at the CNS level and at the peripheral level. The increase in fecundity brought about by the probiotic was demonstrated by the higher number of ovulated eggs in vivo and by the higher germinal vesicle breakdown rate obtained with the in vitro maturation assay. The increase in oocyte maturation was associated with increased transcription of genes coding for signals which induce the maturation phase, such as lhcgr, cbr1l, and paqr8 genes, concomitant with a decreased transcription of genes coding for local factors which prevent oocyte maturation, such as tgfb1, gdf9, and bmp15. In conclusion, all these findings highlight the action of L. rhamnosus both on the endocrine system and at the local level by inducing oocyte maturation. The significance of the results herein obtained underlined the importance of diet in the reproductive process, supporting the hypothesis that feed additives can improve fecundity. Considering that the zebrafish has been clearly established as a vertebrate model for biomedical research, these results support the potentiality of feed additives such as probiotics, frequently used in the human diet, as a new technology to improve reproduction in all vertebrates, including humans.
众所周知，生殖对能量储备状态敏感，并且能量平衡和生育力之间存在平衡。在这种观点下，本研究检查了益生菌鼠李糖乳杆菌作为饲料添加剂对斑马鱼（Danio rerio）繁殖力的影响。 10 天的益生菌处理调节了神经肽激素和代谢信号的基因表达，例如 kiss1、kiss2 和瘦素，无论是在中枢神经系统水平还是在外周水平。益生菌带来的繁殖力增加通过体内排卵卵数量的增加和体外成熟试验中获得的更高的卵母细胞胞质分裂率来证明。卵母细胞成熟的增加与诱导成熟阶段的信号的编码基因的转录增加有关，例如 lhcgr、cbr1l 和 paqr8 基因，同时编码阻止卵母细胞成熟的局部因子的转录减少，例如 tgfb1、gdf9 和 bmp15。总之，所有这些发现都强调了 L. rhamnosus 对内分泌系统和局部水平的作用，通过诱导卵母细胞成熟。在此获得的结果的意义强调了饮食在生殖过程中的重要性，支持了饲料添加剂可以提高繁殖力的假设。考虑到斑马鱼已被明确确立为生物医学研究的脊椎动物模型，这些结果支持了益生菌等饲料添加剂作为改善所有脊椎动物包括人类生殖能力的新技术的潜力。
