Food for Health Science Centre, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2016 May;60(5):1150-60. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201500738. Epub 2016 Mar 22.
To investigate the efficacy of lingonberries in prevention of atherosclerosis, using atherosclerosis-prone Apoe(-/-) mice and to clarify whether effects were associated with changes in the gut microbiota, gut metabolites, and lipid metabolism.
Male Apoe(-/-) mice were fed either low-fat diet, high-fat diet, or high-fat diet with 44% lingonberries for 8 weeks. Blood lipid profiles, hepatic gene expression, atherosclerotic plaques in the aortic root region of the heart, bacterial 16S rRNA gene profiles, and cecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were analyzed. Triglyceride levels and amount of atherosclerotic plaques decreased in the group fed lingonberries in comparison to the high-fat group. Hepatic expression of the bile acid synthesis gene Cyp7a1 was significantly upregulated in the lingonberry group. Lingonberries increased the cecal relative abundance of bacterial genera Bacteroides, Parabacteroides and Clostridium. The cecal levels of total SCFAs were significantly lower in the lingonberry group, while the cecal proportion of propionic acid was higher in mice fed lingonberries.
Intake of lingonberries resulted in decreased triglyceridemia and reduced atherosclerosis. The altered gut microbiota composition and SCFA profile was associated with increased hepatic bile acid gene expression in mice fed lingonberries.
本研究旨在探讨越橘对动脉粥样硬化的预防作用，采用易患动脉粥样硬化的载脂蛋白 E 基因敲除（Apoe(-/-)）小鼠，并阐明其作用是否与肠道微生物群、肠道代谢物和脂质代谢的变化有关。
雄性 Apoe(-/-)小鼠分别喂食低脂饮食、高脂饮食或高脂饮食加 44%越橘 8 周。分析血脂谱、肝基因表达、心脏主动脉根部粥样硬化斑块、细菌 16S rRNA 基因谱和盲肠短链脂肪酸（SCFA）。与高脂组相比，喂食越橘的小鼠甘油三酯水平和粥样硬化斑块数量降低。越橘组肝胆汁酸合成基因 Cyp7a1 的表达显著上调。越橘增加了盲肠细菌属拟杆菌、副拟杆菌和梭菌的相对丰度。越橘组盲肠总 SCFA 水平显著降低，而喂食越橘的小鼠盲肠丙酸比例更高。
摄入越橘可降低甘油三酯血症和动脉粥样硬化程度。改变的肠道微生物群组成和 SCFA 谱与喂食越橘的小鼠肝胆汁酸基因表达增加有关。
