Rôle des polyphénols à effets prébiotiques dans la prévention du syndrome métabolique : mécanismes d'action au niveau cellulaire et animal

Le rôle crucial du tractus gastrointestinal dans la pathogenèse et la pathophysiologie des troubles cardiométaboliques (TCM) et du syndrome métabolique (SM) est actuellement bien établi. Plusieurs facteurs, incluant le stress oxydatif (SOx), l'inflammation et la résistance à l'insuline (RI), perturbent l'homéostasie intestinale et causent des TCM. Les polyphénols (PP) ont des effets biologiques bénéfiques dans la prévention de pathologies métaboliques. Cependant, leurs mécanismes d'actions, surtout au niveau de l'axe intestin-foie, ne sont pas bien compris. Par ailleurs, malgré les nombreuses études sur les effets biologiques et la biodisponibilité des PP, il existe encore des zones d’ombres concernant les interactions entre le microbiote intestinal et les PP et les conséquences subséquentes sur la santé intestinale et métabolique. Dans ce travail de recherche, nous favorisons l’axiome selon lequel les PP, notamment ceux de grande taille moléculaire tels que les proanthocyanidines (PACs), pourraient être utile pour combattre les maladies métaboliques grâce à leurs actions antioxydante et anti-inflammatoire. Toutefois, ces actions précitées des PACs dépendraient d’une régulation en amont du microbiote intestinal. L’objectif central consiste à démontrer les effets bénéfiques des PACs dans la prévention des dérèglements métaboliques dans deux modèles distincts, l’un cellulaire et l’autre animal et d’en étudier les mécanismes. Les effets des PACs sur la RI, les dérangements métaboliques intestinaux grâce à la production de métabolites ont été étudiés. Dans une première étape, nous avons étudié les mécanismes d’actions des PACs et de l’un de leurs métabolites majeurs, le 4,5-dihydroxyphenyl valerolactone (DHPVL), dans la prévention des maladies métaboliques et dans le maintien de l’homéostasie intestinale en utilisant la lignée cellulaire intestinale Caco-2/15. Ces cellules constituent un outil de choix pour l’investigation du SOx, la défense antioxydante et l’inflammation en relation directe avec nos objectifs. Les résultats suggèrent que la capacité des PACs à augmenter la défense antioxydante et anti-inflammatoire et à améliorer l’homéostasie intestinale passeraient en partie probablement par leurs métabolites microbiens. Dans une deuxième étape, en utilisant le modèle murin C57BL6, nous avons déterminé l’impact des PACs sur l’homéostasie métabolique intestinale et hépatique, via l’atténuation du SOx et l’inflammation, le maintien de l’intégrité de la barrière intestinale, la prévention de l’endotoxémie métabolique et les modifications du profil lipidique et de la fonction du microbiote intestinal. Cette partie a évalué les aspects préventifs et thérapeutiques des PACs en spécifiant leurs bénéfices biologiques et voies mécanistiques dans des organes métaboliques clés. Pour étudier ces mécanismes et les comprendre, nous avons utilisé le modèle dysmétabolique de souris C57BL6 soumises à une diète riche en lipides et en sucrose (HFHS), servant à développer le SM et les complications cardio-métaboliques afin d’examiner l’action des PACs. Le développement de l’obésité, de la RI ainsi que la survenue d’autres altérations métaboliques ont été prévenus par l’administration de PACs. Les résultats de cette thèse permettent une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes d’actions qui sous-tendent les effets préventifs et thérapeutiques des PACs dans les désordres métaboliques, en particulier dans l’axe intestin-foie.The crucial role of the gastrointestinal tract in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of cardiometabolic disorders (CMD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) is currently recognized. Several factors, including oxidative stress (OxS), inflammation and insulin resistance (IR), disrupt intestinal homeostasis and cause CMD. Polyphenols (PP) have beneficial biological effects in the prevention of metabolic pathologies. However, their mechanisms of action, especially in the gut-liver axis, are not well understood. Moreover, despite numerous studies on the biological effects and bioavailability of PP, there are still grey areas concerning the interactions between the intestinal microbiota and PP and the subsequent consequences for intestinal and metabolic health. In this research work, we promote the axiom that PP, particularly those of large molecular size such as proanthocyanidins (PACs), could be useful in combating metabolic diseases thanks to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. However, the aforementioned actions of PACs would depend on upstream regulation of the intestinal microbiota. The central objective is to demonstrate the beneficial effects of PACs in preventing metabolic disorders in two distinct models, one cellular and the other animal, and to study the mechanisms involved. The effects of PACs on IR and intestinal metabolic disturbances through metabolite production were studied. In a first step, we investigated the mechanisms of action of PACs and one of their major metabolites, 4,5-dihydroxyphenyl valerolactone (DHPVL), in the prevention of metabolic diseases and in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis using the Caco-2/15 intestinal cell line. These cells are a tool of choice for investigating OxS, antioxidant defense and inflammation in direct relation to our objectives. The results suggest that the ability of PACs to enhance antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defense and improve intestinal homeostasis is probably partly mediated by their microbial metabolites. In a second step, using the C57BL6 mouse model, we determined the impact of PACs on intestinal and hepatic metabolic homeostasis, via attenuation of OxS and inflammation, maintenance of intestinal barrier integrity, prevention of metabolic endotoxemia and changes in lipid profile and gut microbiota function. This section assessed the preventive and therapeutic aspects of PACs, specifying their biological benefits and mechanistic pathways in key metabolic organs. To investigate and understand these mechanisms, we used the dysmetabolic model of C57BL6 mice subjected to a high-fat, high-sucrose diet (HFHS), used to develop MetS and cardio-metabolic complications to examine the action of PACs. The development of obesity, IR and other metabolic alterations was prevented by the administration of PACs. The results of this thesis provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of action underlying the preventive and therapeutic effects of PACs in metabolic disorders, particularly in the intestine-liver axis

Insight into Polyphenol and Gut Microbiota Crosstalk: Are Their Metabolites the Key to Understand Protective Effects against Metabolic Disorders?

Lifestyle factors, especially diet and nutrition, are currently regarded as essential avenues to decrease modern-day cardiometabolic disorders (CMD), including obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Many groups around the world attribute these trends, at least partially, to bioactive plant polyphenols given their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. In fact, polyphenols can prevent or reverse the progression of disease processes through many distinct mechanisms. In particular, the crosstalk between polyphenols and gut microbiota, recently unveiled thanks to DNA-based tools and next generation sequencing, unravelled the central regulatory role of dietary polyphenols and their intestinal micro-ecology metabolites on the host energy metabolism and related illnesses. The objectives of this review are to: (1) provide an understanding of classification, structure, and bioavailability of dietary polyphenols; (2) underline their metabolism by gut microbiota; (3) highlight their prebiotic effects on microflora; (4) discuss the multifaceted roles of their metabolites in CMD while shedding light on the mechanisms of action; and (5) underscore their ability to initiate host epigenetic regulation. In sum, the review clearly documents whether dietary polyphenols and micro-ecology favorably interact to promote multiple physiological functions on human organism

Efficacy of Polyphenols in the Management of Dyslipidemia: A Focus on Clinical Studies

Polyphenols (PLPs), phytochemicals found in a wide range of plant-based foods, have gained extensive attention in view of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and several additional beneficial activities. The health-promoting effects noted in animal models of various non-communicable diseases explain the growing interest in these molecules. In particular, in vitro and animal studies reported an attenuation of lipid disorders in response to PLPs. However, despite promising preclinical investigations, the effectiveness of PLPs in human dyslipidemia (DLP) is less clear and necessitates revision of available literature. Therefore, the present review analyzes the role of PLPs in managing clinical DLP, notably by dissecting their potential in ameliorating lipid/lipoprotein metabolism and alleviating hyperlipidemia, both postprandially and in long-term interventions. To this end, PubMed was used for article search. The search terms included polyphenols, lipids, triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and /or HDL-cholesterol. The critical examination of the trials published to date illustrates certain benefits on blood lipids along with co-morbidities in participant’s health status. However, inconsistent results document significant research gaps, potentially owing to study heterogeneity and lack of rigor in establishing PLP bioavailability during supplementation. This underlines the need for further efforts in order to elucidate and support a potential role of PLPs in fighting DLP

Cranberry Proanthocyanidins as a Therapeutic Strategy to Curb Metabolic Syndrome and Fatty Liver-Associated Disorders

While the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is steadily increasing worldwide, no optimal pharmacotherapy is readily available to address its multifaceted risk factors and halt its complications. This growing challenge mandates the development of other future curative directions. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the efficacy of cranberry proanthocyanidins (PACs) in improving MetS pathological conditions and liver complications; C57BL/6J mice were fed either a standard chow or a high fat/high sucrose (HFHS) diet with and without PACs (200 mg/kg), delivered by daily gavage for 12 weeks. Our results show that PACs lowered HFHS-induced obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia. In conjunction, PACs lessened circulatory markers of oxidative stress (OxS) and inflammation. Similarly, the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory capacities of PACs were noted in the liver in association with improved hepatic steatosis. Inhibition of lipogenesis and stimulation of beta-oxidation could account for PACs-mediated decline of fatty liver as evidenced not only by the expression of rate-limiting enzymes but also by the status of AMPKα (the key sensor of cellular energy) and the powerful transcription factors (PPARα, PGC1α, SREBP1c, ChREBP). Likewise, treatment with PACs resulted in the downregulation of critical enzymes of liver gluconeogenesis, a process contributing to increased rates of glucose production in type 2 diabetes. Our findings demonstrate that PACs prevented obesity and improved insulin resistance likely via suppression of OxS and inflammation while diminishing hyperlipidemia and fatty liver disease, as clear evidence for their strength of fighting the cluster of MetS abnormalities