Lactobacillus plantarum J26 alleviates alcohol-induced oxidative liver injury by regulating the Nrf2 signaling pathway

Oxidative stress is one of the main ways to cause alcohol-induced liver injury, and alcoholic liver disease(ALD) has been a common health problem worldwide. Lactic acid bacteria(LAB) is also considered as a potential treatment to alleviate alcohol-induced liver injury. Lactobacillus plantarum J26 is a LAB isolated from Chinese traditional fermented dairy products with excellent probiotic effects. This study aimed to establish a mice model of alcoholic liver injury through acute-on-chronic alcohol feeding and to study the alleviating effect of pre-intake of L. plantarum J26 on alcohol-induced oxidative liver injury and focus on its potential mechanism of alleviating effect. The results showed that pre-intake of L. plantarum J26 could improve liver pathological changes, reduce lipid accumulation, increase mitochondrial ATP and mitochondrial(mt DNA) levels, and alleviate liver injury. In addition, pre-intake L. plantarum J26 can improve the level of shortchain fatty acids(SCFAs) in the intestines in mice, short chain fatty acids can be used as a signaling molecule activation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2) signaling pathway to alleviate liver oxidative stress, and maintain mitochondrial homeostasis by regulating the expression of genes related to mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy, thereby reducing cell apoptosis to alleviate alcohol-induced oxidative liver injury.