Lactobacillus johnsonii-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Ameliorate Alcohol-Exacerbated Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis by Inhibiting M1 Macrophage Polarization.

PURPOSE: This study investigated how alcohol exacerbated chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and assessed gut microbiota-targeted therapeutic strategies.

METHODS

An alcohol‑treated experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) mouse model was established to evaluate the exacerbating effect of alcohol on CP/CPPS. The involvement of gut microbiota was assessed by antibiotic depletion and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). 16S rRNA sequencing was applied to profile microbial alterations, particularly the abundance of Lactobacillus johnsonii (L. john). Oral administration of live L. john or intravenous injection of Lactobacillus johnsonii-derived extracellular vesicles (LjEVs) was tested as therapeutic interventions. Mechanistic studies were conducted in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages using transcriptomics, qRT-PCR, Western blot, and flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Alcohol consumption aggravated pelvic tactile hypersensitivity and prostatic inflammation, increased pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α), and promoted M1 macrophage polarization in EAP mice. Fecal microbiota transplantation from alcohol-fed EAP mice reproduced the aggravated phenotype, confirming that gut microbiota mediates this effect. Alcohol specifically reduced the relative abundance of L. john. Oral L. john or intravenous LjEVs alleviated tactile hypersensitivity and inflammation, and inhibited M1 macrophage polarization in alcohol-fed EAP mice. In vitro, LjEVs were internalized by macrophages, suppressed LPS-induced M1 macrophage polarization and pro-inflammatory gene expression, and inhibited TNF-α/NF-κB signaling. Exogenous TNF-α reversed the inhibitory effects of LjEVs on M1 macrophage polarization.

CONCLUSION

Alcohol exacerbated EAP by reducing L. john, which in turn promoted prostatic M1 macrophage polarization via the TNF-α/NF-κB pathway. Supplementation with L. john or LjEVs ameliorated the disease by suppressing this pathway, offering a microbiota-targeted therapy for alcohol-aggravated CP/CPPS.