Document Type : Original Article
Authors
Department of Biology, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Background: Non-fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common metabolic disorder associated with extrahepatic complications, including kidney injury. Dysregulation of the gut–liver–kidney axis plays a key role in this process. Probiotics, by modulating gut microbiota and metabolic pathways, may help prevent or attenuate NAFLD-related renal alterations.
Methods: 24 male Wistar rats with an average weight of (180 ± 20 g) were randomly divided into three groups of eight. Control group (CTL): received standard rodent chow daily. Fatty liver group (FL): received a high-fat diet. Probiotic group (FL+PRO): received a high-fat diet (HFD) along with the administration of a mixture of native Iranian probiotics for 5 weeks. An HFD induced fatty liver. After treatment, the rats were dissected, and kidney tissues were examined to assess the expression of the Mier3, Foxq, and Kim1 genes using the real-time RT-PCR method, as well as histopathological changes. Data analysis among groups was performed using one-way ANOVA, with statistical significance set at (P <0.05).
Results: The body weight significantly increased in the FL group, while probiotic treatment moderated this increase. Renal histopathological evaluation showed that an HFD induced nonsignificant pathological alterations, including dilation of the collecting ducts and a reduction in glomerular number. Probiotic intervention exerted a reparative effect on the structural integrity of the renal cortex. A significant upregulation of KIM1, MIER3, and FOXQ gene expression was indicated in the FL group compared to the CTL group (p<0.001). After five weeks of administration of native Iranian probiotic strains, renal histoarchitecture was restored toward normal morphology, and the expression levels of the target genes in the FL+PRO group were significantly reduced compared with the FL group (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Histological and molecular findings indicate that probiotic interventions have the potential to serve as a safe and non-invasive therapeutic strategy for kidney disorders, particularly by reducing the expression of fibrosis-related genes in the kidney. Nevertheless, additional studies are necessary to validate these findings prior to clinical translation.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)