Probiotic Seen to Counteract Adverse Flame Retardant Effects in Mice

A research team led by Maggie Curras-Collazo, Professor of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology and ETOX faculty member, has observed that supplementing the maternal diet of mice with the probiotic Limosilactobacillus reuteri (LR) can help prevent negative effects from exposure to PBDE flame retardants.  Treatment of pregnant mice with LR corrected most of the behavioral and metabolic abnormalities caused by PBDE exposure such as delayed weight gain in the adult male offspring and exaggerated digging, hyperactivity and altered glucose metabolism and insulin levels in adult female offspring.  More information about their results and their research can be found in a recent UCR News article.  Our congratulations to Maggie and her research group for this promising research advance.