Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with hallmark features of chronic synovial inflammation and progressive joint destruction, in which gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a significant pathogenic role. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of Lactobacillus helveticus CCFM1440 against RA. In rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), administration of this strain alleviated joint swelling and pathological damage, while suppressing synovial hyperplasia and inflammatory infiltration. Mechanistically, treatment reduced serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-17A) and elevated the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. It also downregulated matrix metalloproteinase expression (MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9) and modulated the RANKL/OPG balance by upregulating OPG and downregulating RANKL, thereby inhibiting osteoclast activity. Furthermore, CCFM1440 partially restored gut microbiota homeostasis, with a concomitant increase in beneficial genera like Lachnoclostridium , and enhanced the production of certain short-chain fatty acids. Collectively, these findings provide experimental support toward the development of L. helveticus CCFM1440 into a probiotic adjunct for RA, identifying its clinical evaluation as a necessary next step.
Zhu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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