The clinical treatment for vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) involves the use of antifungal agents such as fluconazole.However, this approach often fails to repair the damaged vaginal epithelial barrier, resulting in a high recurrence rate.The objective was to investigate the reparative effects of Lactobacillus delbrueckii CCFM1337 on the vaginal epithelial barrier in mice infected with Candida albicans and to analyze the differential metabolites.A mouse model of VVC was established by intravaginal inoculation of 20 μL of C.albicans suspension at a concentration of 1×108 CFU/mL for four consecutive days.The mice were then administered 200 μL of L.delbrueckii CCFM1337 suspension at a concentration of 1×1010 CFU/mL for 12 consecutive days.The vaginal epithelial barrier protein expression and metabolite changes were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), and metabolomics techniques.CCFM1337 intervention significantly enhanced the continuity and integrity of the vaginal keratin layer in mice and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration.The level of soluble E-cadherin (sE-CAD) decreased by 35.6% (from 9.82 to 6.33 pg/g), and the expression of Occludin-1, ZO-1, and Claudin-1 increased by 2.33, 2.21, and 1.89 times, respectively (P<0.05).The mRNA expressions of NLRP3、IL-17 were down-regulated by 2.37 times(P<0.05) and 1.79 times(P<0.01),respectively,while the protein expression of IL-1β was decreased by 1.39 times(P<0.05).Metabolomics revealed a decrease in the concentration of tyramine, which is associated with vaginal odor, and an increase in N-cyclopropyl-2-(1-piperazinyl) acetamide.In conclusion, CCFM1337 repaired the vaginal microenvironment by improving the vaginal epithelial barrier and regulating metabolites, alleviating vaginal tissue inflammation in mice.
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