The ameliorating effect of limosilactobacillus fermentum and its supernatant postbiotic on cisplatin-induced chronic kidney disease in an animal model

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem affecting millions of people. Probiotics and postbiotics are associated with valuable compounds with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects, preserving renal function in CKD patients. The current study is aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Limosilactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum) and its postbiotic in an animal model of cisplatin-induced CKD. METHODS: The animals were divided into four experimental groups (normal mice, CKD mice with no treatment, CKD mice with probiotic treatment, and CKD mice with postbiotic treatment). CKD mice were induced by a single dose of cisplatin 10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally. For 28 days, the cultured probiotic bacteria and its supernatant (postbiotic) were delivered freshly to the related groups through their daily water. Then, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) of plasma samples as well as glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species, and total antioxidant capacity of kidneys were assessed in the experimental mice groups. In addition, histopathological studies were performed on the kidneys. RESULTS: Application of L. fermentum probiotic, and especially postbiotics, significantly decreased BUN and Cr (P < 0.0001) as well as ROS formation and lipid peroxidation levels (P < 0.0001) along with increased total antioxidant capacity and GSH levels (P < 0.001). The histopathologic images also confirmed their renal protection effect. Interestingly, the postbiotic displayed more effectiveness than the probiotic in some assays. The improvement effect on renal function in the current model is mainly mediated by oxidative stress markers in the renal tissue. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, it was found that the administration of L. fermentum probiotic, and particularly its postbiotic in cisplatin-induced CKD mice, showed promising effects and could successfully improve renal function in the animal model of CKD. Therefore, probiotics and postbiotics are considered as probably promising alternative supplements to be used for CKD.