ANTIDIABETIC EFFECTS OF AN ORAL-ADMINISTRATION OF LACTOBACILLUS-CASEIIN A NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS (NIDDM) MODEL USING KK-A(Y) MICE

The antidiabetic effects of Lactobacillus casei (LC) on a non-insulin- dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) model, KK-A(y) mice, were investig ated. The oral administration of LC to male 4-week-old KK-A(y) mice, o r raising the mice on a 0.05% LC-containing diet significantly decreas ed the plasma glucose at 8 to 10 weeks of age compared with the contro l group. The body weights of the LC-treated groups were lower than tho se of the control group, although the food intake was nearly the same in all groups. Phenotypic analysis of spleen cell surface markers reve aled that the increase in CD4(+) T cells at 12 weeks was significantly inhibited by the oral treatment with LC. Cytokine production, especia lly that of interferon-gamma and interleukin 2, was also inhibited in the oral LC-treated group. The plasma insulin levels of the LC-treated groups were also lower than those of the control group, and the insul in binding potential of red blood cells in the LC-treated mice was aug mented more than that in the control group. Taken together, these find ings led us to conclude that the oral administration of LC in the NIDD M model mice, KK-A(y), was involved in the decrease in the plasma gluc ose level and modified the host immune responses.