LBP and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: Similarly, a recent study demonstrated the ameliorating effects of heat-treated L. plantarum HK L-137 against obesity and adipose tissue inflammation in an animal model, highlighting that HK L-137 supplementation reduced plasma levels of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), a marker of intestinal permeability, in HFD-fed mice.