Abstract:
Objective: The study was to investigate the effect of
Lacticaseibacillus casei on gastrointestinal regulatory peptide levels and gut microbiota in constipated mice in order to provide a new basis for constipation treatment. Methods: The constipated mice were modeled by intragastric administration of diphenoxylate solution. And these mice were then respectively treated with low (1×10
6 CFU/mL), medium (1×10
8 CFU/mL) and high (1×10
10 CFU/mL) doses of
L. casei. Intestinal functions were measured. Gastrointestinal regulatory peptide levels and their relationship with intestinal flora, and differences of gut microbiota among groups were analyzed. The effect of constipation on mice and the relieving of
L. casei on constipation were explored. Results: Compared with the normal group, mice in the model group showed a prolonged time to the first black stoo, decreased small intestinal propulsion rate, and extremely significantly lower serum levels of gastrointestinal regulatory peptides as AChE, ET-1, MTL, SP and VIP (
P<0.01). Those parameters demonstrated varying degrees of recovery trend in the mice after
L. casei treatment, additionally the recovery trend exhibited more significant (
P<0.05) in the high dose group. Heatmap analysis revealed that SP and ET-1 levels were positively correlated with unclassified_f_
_Lachnospiraceae (
P<0.05). SP content was positively related to
Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group (
P<0.05) and
Alloprevotella (
P<0.01), while SS level was negatively correlated with unclassified_f_
_Lachnospiraceae (
P<0.05) and
Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group (
P<0.01). Analysis of species differences among groups suggested that
L. casei could increase the abundances of
Staphylococcus_lentus_g__
Staphylococcus (
P<0.01), uncultured_bacterium_g__
Alistipes (
P<0.05) and
Bacteroides_caecimuris (
P<0.001) in the intestinal flora of mice, whereas it reduced the abundances of uncultured_bacterium_g__
Prevotellaceae-UCG-001 (
P<0.001) and unculture_bacterium_g__
Odoribacter (
P<0.01). Conclusion:
L. casei was able to alleviate constipation by regulating the gut microbiota, increasing the number of beneficial bacteria, promoting the secretion of digestive juices and the contraction of gastrointestinal smooth muscle, and accelerating gastrointestinal motility.