Antihypertensive Effect of Extracts of Lactobacillus casei in Patients with Hypertension

Abstract

An extract of autologous Lactobacillus casei cell lysate (LEx) is known to lower the blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). To determine the effects of LEx in humans, we enrolled twenty-eight patients with an average age of seventy-one years and with an average systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure of 164/96 mmHg in a 2-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Four hundred milligrams of LEx or placebo powder enclosed in white capsules was given twice a day for 2 months. Decreases in systolic blood pressure (p<0.01), diastolic blood pressure (p<0.05), and heart rate (p<0.05) were observed in the LEx-treated group when compared with the baseline. As to the blood plasma component, both total cholesterol and fasting plasma glucose were reduced (p<0.05) in the LEx-treated group. These findings support the role of LEx in the treatment of hypertension with beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. © 1995, SOCIETY FOR FREE RADICAL RESEARCH JAPAN. All rights reserved.