During the postmenopausal period, the risk of cardiovascular diseases is increased in many obese women and is associated with a worse cardiometabolic profile and a sub-chronic low-grade systemic inflammation caused by a gut barrier permeability dysfunction. Here, we tested whether administration of two different dosages of the multispecies probiotic Ecologic^® Barrier influenced the cardiometabolic biochemical parameters and lipopolysaccharide levels, the latter used as a marker of increased gut permeability in obese postmenopausal women. A total of 81 obese Caucasian postmenopausal women participated in the trial. The subjects were randomly assigned to three groups that received a placebo, a low dose (LD) (2.5 × 10⁹ colony forming units (CFU) per day), or a high dose (HD) (1 × 10¹⁰ CFU per day) of lyophilisate powder containing live multispecies probiotic bacteria. The probiotic supplement was administered each day in two equal portions for 12 weeks. We found significant (p < 0.05) favorable changes (mostly large or medium effects) in the evaluated parameters in both the HD and LD groups but not in the placebo group. In the HD group, lipopolysaccharide, waist, fat mass, subcutaneous fat, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, insulin, and insulin-resistant index (HOMA-IR) were improved. Similar changes were observed in the LD group, except for lipopolysaccharide, uric acid, triglycerides, and glucose levels. Additionally, significant differences were observed in both groups in terms of fat percentage and visceral fat. When the mean changes were compared between the three groups, statistically significant differences in lipopolysaccharide levels, uric acid, glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR were found. Post hoc tests revealed significant differences in the mean changes (mostly medium effects) between the HD and LD groups for uric acid, glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR. In the 12-week randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind intervention, we observed that supplementation with the multispecies probiotic Ecologic^® Barrier favorably affected the risk factors in a dose-dependent manner, showing beneficial effects on the cardiometabolic parameters and gut permeability of the patients. Our results suggest that this product can be effective in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in obese postmenopausal women.

SERPINA3, also called α-1-antichymotrypsin (AACT, ACT), is one of the inhibitors of serine proteases, one of which is cathepsin G. As an acute-phase protein secreted into the plasma by liver cells, it plays an important role in the anti-inflammatory response and antiviral response. Elevated levels of SERPINA3 have been observed in heart failure and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Many studies have shown increased expression levels of the SERPINA3 gene in various types of cancer, such as glioblastoma, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, breast cancer, or melanoma. In this case, the SERPINA3 protein is associated with an antiapoptotic function implemented by adjusting the PI3K/AKT or MAPK/ERK 1/2 signal pathways. However, the functions of the SERPINA3 protein are still only partially understood, mainly in the context of cancerogenesis, so it seems necessary to summarize the available information and describe its mechanism of action. In particular, we sought to amass the existing body of research focusing on the description of the underlying mechanisms of various diseases not related to cancer. Our goal was to present an overview of the correct function of SERPINA3 as part of the defense system, which unfortunately easily becomes the “Fifth Column” and begins to support processes of destruction.

Obesity in the postmenopausal period is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases in women. One of the key drivers of cardiovascular risk is endothelial dysfunction; thus, this is also a crucial point for studies on new therapeutic methods of cardioprotective properties. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of two doses of multispecies probiotic Ecologic^® Barrier supplement on functional (primary endpoint) and biochemical parameters (secondary endpoint) of endothelial dysfunction in obese postmenopausal women in a 12-week randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 81 obese Caucasian women participated in the trial. The subjects were randomly assigned to three groups that received a placebo, a low dose (LD) (2.5 × 10⁹ colony forming units (CFU) per day), or a high dose (HD) (1 × 10¹⁰ CFU per day) of lyophilisate powder containing live multispecies probiotic bacteria. The probiotic supplement was administered each day for 12 weeks in two equal portions. A high dose probiotic supplementation for 12 weeks decreased systolic blood pressure, vascular endothelial growth factor, pulse wave analysis systolic pressure, pulse wave analysis pulse pressure, pulse wave analysis augmentation index, pulse wave velocity, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and thrombomodulin. Low doses of probiotic supplementation decreased the systolic blood pressure and interleukin-6 levels. The mean changes in the estimated parameters, compared among the three groups, revealed significant differences in the vascular endothelial growth factor, the pulse wave analysis systolic pressure, the pulse wave analysis augmentation index, the pulse wave velocity, the tumor necrosis factor alpha, and thrombomodulin. The post hoc tests showed significant differences for all parameters between HD and the placebo group, and HD and LD (besides pulse wave analysis augmentation index). We show for the first time that supplementation with multispecies probiotic Ecologic^® Barrier favorably modifies both functional and biochemical markers of vascular dysfunction in obese postmenopausal women.

Obesity leads to detrimental abnormalities of iron (Fe) metabolism. So far, studies have shown that single-strain probiotic supplementation ameliorates the gut microbiota quality disrupted in the obese and improves Fe homeostasis. The effect of multistrain probiotic supplementation and its dose-dependence in obese postmenopausal women remain unknown. The study aimed to investigate the effect of multistrain probiotic supplementation in two doses on selected parameters of Fe metabolism in obese postmenopausal female patients. Three groups of obese postmenopausal women, 30 subjects each, received nine-strain oral probiotic supplement at a daily dose of 2.5 × 10⁹ CFU (LD group), 1 × 10¹⁰ CFU (HD group), or placebo for 12 weeks (ClinicalTrails.gov no: NCT03100162). After the intervention, the hair Fe content was lower in both supplemented groups compared to the baseline, the serum zinc (Zn) concentration was higher in the LD group and lower in the HD group vs. the baseline, and the serum erythroferrone (FAM) concentration was lower in the HD group and serum ferritin (FE) concentration was higher in the LD group vs. the baseline. In the whole study population after the completion of the intervention hair Zn correlated positively with serum HEPC and FAM and negatively with serum FE. Hair Fe correlated negatively with serum FE. It is concluded that multistrain probiotic supplementation may influence iron metabolism in obese postmenopausal female patients.