Effects of probiotic Lactobacillus casei on streptozotocin diabetic rats via decreasing oxidative stress, inflammation and inhibiting Nrf-2/bcl-2/NF-κB/TLR-4 and caspase-3 signalling pathway

This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of Lactobacillus casei (LC) against diabetes (DM). The levels of serum glucose, HbA1c, pancreatic tissue MDA, TNF-α, and IL-1β were increased in the diabetes group compared with the non-diabetic control group, while serum insulin levels, CAT, and SOD activities were lower in the diabetes group. LC reduced the levels of NF-κB, TLR-4, and caspase-3, whereas Bcl-2 and Nrf-2 were elevated. Based on biochemical parameters and histopathological findings, LC, as determined in preliminary studies, effectively lowered blood glucose, HbA1c levels in diabetic rats, reduced lipid peroxidation, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, and mitigated oxidative stress. Furthermore, since limited studies have investigated the impact of Lactobacillus casei on NF-κB, Tlr-4 and the Bcl-2, caspase-3, and Nrf-2 signalling pathways in STZ-induced diabetic pancreatic tissue, this study serves as a pioneering contribution to the literature.