Probiotic Reprogramming of Gut Microbial Monosaccharide Utilization Restores Intestinal Barrier Integrity Against AALI

Acute alcoholic liver injury (AALI) is driven by a complex interplay between ethanol toxicity and gut dysbiosis. While probiotics are recognized for their hepatoprotective potential, the specific metagenomic remodeling required to accelerate ethanol clearance remains poorly defined. In this study, we demonstrate that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGI J9 mitigates AALI in mice. Pretreatment with J9 for 30 days accelerated ethanol metabolism, reduced the blood concentration of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase levels. J9 reversed ethanol induced gut dysbiosis, enriching Lactobacillus and Lachnospiraceae, key SCFA producing taxa and reducing the abundance of Helicobacter. Metagenomic analysis revealed that J9 specifically restored carbohydrate metabolism pathways involved in monosaccharide utilization, glycolysis, and glycogen synthesis, which correlated with restored intestinal barrier integrity, increasing Zo1 and Occludin while reducing Vegfa, and reduced serum lipopolysaccharide. Additional shifts in microbial metabolic pathways, including those governing amino acid, lipid, energy, and co enzyme metabolism, were also observed. These functional changes were associated with decreased hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation, alongside elevated anti inflammatory factors. Our findings indicate that J9 alleviates AALI by reprogramming gut microbial carbohydrate metabolism networks, specifically monosaccharides utilization pathway to reinforce intestinal barrier function, positioning it as a promising candidate for targeting the gut liver axis in alcohol induced liver injury.