Background
Metabolic syndrome is a condition marked by a group of related health issues that increase a person's risk of developing heart diseases and type 2 diabetes (T2D).
O'Neill et al. 2015 Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity 16: 1-12
The gut microbiota is regarded as a significant factor contributing to the development of obesity-related disorders.
Cani et al. 2019 Nature Metabolism 1: 34-46
Studies in humans have shown evidence of a negative correlation between the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila and conditions such as being overweight, obesity, untreated type 2 diabetes (T2D), or hypertension.
Zhang et al. 2013 PLoS One 8(8): e71108
Brahe et al. 2015 Nutrition & diabetes 5: e159
Dao et al. 2016 Gut 65: 426-436
Yassour et al. 2016 Genome Med 8: 17
Li et al. 2017b Microbiome 5: 14
Liu et al. 2017 Nature Medicine 23: 859-868
Study overview
This is a randomized clinical basic science trial to study Akkermansia muciniphila or Akkermansia muciniphila inactivated
or placebo in patients with Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) over three months
Primary outcome measures
Safety, tolerability and metabolic parameters (i.e., insulin resistance, circulating lipids, visceral adiposity, body mass)
Depommier et al. 2019 Nat Med. 25(7): 1096-1103
Results
- Insulin Sensitivity: Pasteurized A. muciniphila significantly improved insulin sensitivity by 28.62±7.02% compared to the placebo group (P=0.002).
- Insulinemia: There was a notable reduction in insulinemia by 34.08±7.12% (P=0.006) with pasteurized A. muciniphila.
- Cholesterol Levels: Plasma total cholesterol levels decreased by 8.68±2.38% (P=0.02) in the pasteurized group.
- Body Weight and Composition: A slight decrease in body weight by 2.27±0.92 kg *(P=0.091) was observed.
- Fat mass was reduced by 1.37±0.82 kg *(*P*=0.092)
- Hip circumference decreased by 2.63±1.14 cm *(P=0.091) compared to baseline measurements.
- Liver and Inflammation Markers: After three months, A. muciniphila supplementation led to reduced levels of key blood markers associated with liver dysfunction and inflammation.
- Gut Microbiome: The overall structure of the gut microbiome remained unchanged despite the supplementation.
- Live A. muciniphila: The live form of A. muciniphila showed milder improvements, primarily affecting insulin resistance.
This study highlights the potential benefits of Akkermansia muciniphila pasteurized in improving metabolic health markers, with significant effects on insulin sensitivity, cholesterol levels, and body composition.
Depommier et al. 2019 Nat Med. 25(7): 1096-1103
Conclusion
The proof-of-concept study shows that the intervention was safe and well-tolerated. Additionally, supplementation with Akkermansia muciniphila improves several metabolic parameters. Akkermansia muciniphila pasteurized (70°C for 30 min) exposes beneficial outer membrane proteins without viability issues, potentially explaining enhanced efficacy in metabolic parameters.
Depommier et al. 2019 Nat Med. 25(7): 1096-1103
