Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TCCC11824 ameliorates radiation enteritis via PPAR-γ-NLRP3-ferroptosis axis and modulating gut microbiota

Cancer remains a significant threat to global health, characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal cells with the potential to invade a and metastasize. Radiation therapy plays an important role in the management of pelvic malignancies, but may lead to rectal radiation injury, adversely affecting patients' well-being and quality of life. Currently, the main therapeutic strategies for radiation enteritis (RE) include pharmacological interventions,, endoscopic therapy, localized formaldehyde treatments, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and fecal transplantation. The role of probiotics in mitigating RE, particularly through modulation of the inflammatory response and gut microbiota (GM), is gaining recognition, though their precise mechanisms of action remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we observed that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TCCC11824 (previously known as Lactobacillus plantarum CGMCC 8198) administration significantly ameliorated symptoms of colon shortening, intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction, as well as GM ecological dysregulation in RE mice. Notably, L. plantarum TCCC11824 was found to modulate ferroptosis-related signaling pathway and maintain ferroptosis through the PPAR-γ-NLRP3 pathway. Our findings elucidate the therapeutic potential of L. plantarum TCCC11824 in alleviating radiation enteritis by engaging the iron death signaling pathway, offering novel insights into the mechanisms of probiotics and providing robust theoretical support for clinical application in improving outcomes for patients with RE. Cancer remains a significant threat to global health, characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal cells with the potential to invade a and metastasize. Radiation therapy plays an important role in the management of pelvic malignancies, but may lead to rectal radiation injury, adversely affecting patients' well-being and quality of life. Currently, the main therapeutic strategies for radiation enteritis (RE) include pharmacological interventions,, endoscopic therapy, localized formaldehyde treatments, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and fecal transplantation. The role of probiotics in mitigating RE, particularly through modulation of the inflammatory response and gut microbiota (GM), is gaining recognition, though their precise mechanisms of action remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we observed that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TCCC11824 (previously known as Lactobacillus plantarum CGMCC 81