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Probiotics and Gut Health

Phase 1
Conditions
Metabolic Syndrome
Interventions
Drug: Yogurt smoothie
Drug: Yogurt smoothie with BB-12
Registration Number
NCT03418857
Lead Sponsor
Penn State University
Brief Summary

This study evaluates the effects of probiotic consumption on inflammatory outcomes and measures of gut health. Participants will be given yogurt with probiotics for one period and yogurt without probiotics for another, with a break in between. These periods will occur in random order.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
40
Inclusion Criteria
  • BMI ≥ to 25 and less than 35 kg/m^2
  • Increased waist circumference (men: ≥ 94 cm, women: ≥ 80 cm)
  • At least one of the metabolic syndrome criteria-
  • serum triglycerides: ≥ 150 mg/dL
  • HDL cholesterol: ≤ 40 mg/dL in men, ≤ 50 mg/dL in women
  • blood pressure: ≥ 130 mmHg systolic or ≥ 85 mmHg diastolic
  • fasting plasma glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL
Exclusion Criteria
  • allergy to dairy
  • smoking and/or use of tobacco products
  • systolic blood pressure ≥ 160 mmHg
  • diastolic blood pressure > 100 mmHg
  • fasting glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL
  • history of myocardial infarction, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, diabetes mellitus, liver disease, kidney disease, thyroid disease (unless controlled on medication)
  • use of cholesterol or lipid lowering medications
  • use of anti-hypertensive or glucose lowering supplements (psyllium, fish oil capsules, soy lecithin, niacin, fiber, flax, phytoestrogens, and stanol/sterol supplemented foods)
  • refusal to discontinue nutritional supplements, herbs, vitamins, or other probiotics
  • clinical diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) e.g. Chron's disease or ulcerative colitis
  • Use of antibiotics within the last 2 months
  • excessive alcohol consumption (≥ 14 standard drinks per week)
  • regular use of anti-inflammatory medications (e.g. aspirin, ibuprofen)

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
ControlYogurt smoothieParticipants will consume one yogurt smoothie daily for the duration of the intervention that contains no BB-12. Participants will be asked to refrain from consumption of other yogurt or probiotic-containing foods.
ExperimentalYogurt smoothie with BB-12Participants will consume one yogurt smoothie daily for the duration of the intervention that contains 3.16 × 109 colony forming units (CFU) bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12. Participants will be asked to refrain from consumption of other yogurt or probiotic-containing foods.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change from baseline in inflammatory markersAt baseline before intervention period 1, at endpoint of intervention period 1 (week 4), at baseline before intervention period 2 (week 8), at endpoint after intervention period 2 (week 12)

Change in inflammatory markers in the serum and secreted cytokines from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells compared to baseline. In the serum the markers to be investigated are high sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1B), IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein alpha (MIP-1a), sCD14, and LPS binding protein (LPB). From LPS-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells the cytokines to be investigated are TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, MCP-1, and MIP-1a. Changes in these inflammatory markers will assist in understanding how the consumption of yogurt containing BB-12 affects the inflammatory status of obese individuals.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in number and activation of leukocytesAt baseline before intervention period 1, at endpoint of intervention period 1 (week 4), at baseline before intervention period 2 (week 8), at endpoint after intervention period 2 (week 12)

Change in quantity and activation of T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, and monocytes measured by flow cytometry before and after each period. Changes in the number and activation of leukocytes will assist in understanding the impacts of the consumption of yogurt containing BB-12 on leukocytes in obese individuals.

Change in gut permeabilityAt baseline before intervention period 1, at endpoint of intervention period 1 (week 4), at baseline before intervention period 2 (week 8), at endpoint after intervention period 2 (week 12)

Change in gut permeability, assessed using a lactulose/mannitol gut permeability assay, from baseline. Changes in gut permeability will assist in understanding the impacts of the consumption of yogurt containing BB-12 on gut health and permeability in obese individuals.

Change in metabolism of gut microbiota populationsAt baseline before intervention period 1, at endpoint of intervention period 1 (week 4), at baseline before intervention period 2 (week 8), at endpoint after intervention period 2 (week 12)

Change in the metabolism of gut microbiota populations, measured via transcriptomics, compared to baseline. Changes in the transcriptome of the commensal microbiota will assist in understanding the impacts of the consumption of yogurt containing BB-12 on the metabolism of commensal gut microbiota in obese individuals.

Change in gut microbiota populationsAt baseline before intervention period 1, at endpoint of intervention period 1 (week 4), at baseline before intervention period 2 (week 8), at endpoint after intervention period 2 (week 12)

Change in gut microbiota populations, assessed with 16s ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA), compared to baseline. Changes in microbial populations will assist in understanding the impacts of the consumption of yogurt containing BB-12 on commensal gut microbiota in obese individuals.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

The Pennsylvania State University

🇺🇸

University Park, Pennsylvania, United States

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