Bifidobacterium adolescentis protects the intestinal barrier from obesity-related inflammatory stimuli in association with the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B
Abstract
The intestinal barrier plays a crucial role in host metabolic and immune homeostasis; however, its integrity can be disrupted by factors such as lipopolysaccharides, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress. Although Bifidobacterium species are considered beneficial members of the gut microbiota, their strain-specific effects on epithelial barrier integrity and the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. We investigated the protective effects of four heat-killed strains of bifidobacteria, B. pseudocatenulatum YIT 11057, B. adolescentis YIT 13021, B. bifidum YIT 10347, and B. breve YIT 4014, on intestinal barrier function using T84 monolayers, a widely used in vitro model of the intestinal epithelium that retains many colon-like properties. Among the tested strains, only B. adolescentis YIT 13021 (YIT 13021) consistently protected against barrier disruption induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokines, highlighting species-enriched but strain-dependent functional properties within B. adolescentis. YIT 13021 preserved tight junction integrity in association with preserved localization of zonula occludens-1 and attenuated stimulus-induced nuclear localization of nuclear factor-kappa B. Furthermore, live YIT 13021 exerted superior barrier-protective effects than its heat-killed counterpart, and its protective efficacy was further increased when cultured in the presence of starch, suggesting that metabolic activity and substrate availability influence functional outcomes. These findings demonstrate functional heterogeneity among Bifidobacterium strains, provide insights into potential mechanisms underlying microbiota-mediated modulation of epithelial integrity, and identify B. adolescentis YIT 13021 as a promising candidate for supporting intestinal barrier homeostasis.
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BibTeX
@article{ibuki2026bifidobacterium,
title = {{Bifidobacterium adolescentis protects the intestinal barrier from obesity-related inflammatory stimuli in association with the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B}},
author = {Tatsuya IBUKI and Takahide SHIGEYAMA and Moriya TSUKIMOTO and Yusuke NAGARA and Mitsuhisa KAWAI and Ryuta YAMAZAKI},
journal = {Bioscience of Microbiota, Food and Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.12938/bmfh.2026-022},
url = {https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bmfh/45/4/45_2026-022/_article},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Bifidobacterium adolescentis protects the intestinal barrier from obesity-related inflammatory stimuli in association with the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B
AU - Tatsuya IBUKI
AU - Takahide SHIGEYAMA
AU - Moriya TSUKIMOTO
AU - Yusuke NAGARA
AU - Mitsuhisa KAWAI
AU - Ryuta YAMAZAKI
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Bioscience of Microbiota, Food and Health
DO - 10.12938/bmfh.2026-022
UR - https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bmfh/45/4/45_2026-022/_article
AB - The intestinal barrier plays a crucial role in host metabolic and immune homeostasis; however, its integrity can be disrupted by factors such as lipopolysaccharides, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress. Although Bifidobacterium species are considered beneficial members of the gut microbiota, their strain-specific effects on epithelial barrier integrity and the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. We investigated the protective effects of four heat-killed strains of bifidobacteria, B. pseudocatenulatum YIT 11057, B. adolescentis YIT 13021, B. bifidum YIT 10347, and B. breve YIT 4014, on intestinal barrier function using T84 monolayers, a widely used in vitro model of the intestinal epithelium that retains many colon-like properties. Among the tested strains, only B. adolescentis YIT 13021 (YIT 13021) consistently protected against barrier disruption induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokines, highlighting species-enriched but strain-dependent functional properties within B. adolescentis. YIT 13021 preserved tight junction integrity in association with preserved localization of zonula occludens-1 and attenuated stimulus-induced nuclear localization of nuclear factor-kappa B. Furthermore, live YIT 13021 exerted superior barrier-protective effects than its heat-killed counterpart, and its protective efficacy was further increased when cultured in the presence of starch, suggesting that metabolic activity and substrate availability influence functional outcomes. These findings demonstrate functional heterogeneity among Bifidobacterium strains, provide insights into potential mechanisms underlying microbiota-mediated modulation of epithelial integrity, and identify B. adolescentis YIT 13021 as a promising candidate for supporting intestinal barrier homeostasis.
SN - 2186-3342
ER -