Probiotic extracts ameliorate nasal allergy by inducing interleukin-35-producing dendritic cells in mice

Bifidobacteria in disease: from head to toe

Bifidobacteria as a strictly anaerobic gram-positive bacteria, is widely distributed in the intestine, vagina and oral cavity, and is one of the first gut flora to colonize the early stages of life. Intestinal flora is closely related to health, and dysbiosis of intestinal flora, especially Bifidobacteria, has been found in a variety of diseases. Numerous studies have shown that in addition to maintaining intestinal homeostasis, Bifidobacteria may be involved in diseases covering all parts of the body, including the nervous system, respiratory system, genitourinary system and so on. This review collects evidence for the variation of Bifidobacteria in typical diseases among various systems, provides mild and effective therapeutic options for those diseases that are difficult to cure, and moves Bifidobacteria from basic research to further clinical applications.

Microbiome First Medicine in Health and Safety

Microbiome First Medicine is a suggested 21st century healthcare paradigm that prioritizes the entire human, the human superorganism, beginning with the microbiome. To date, much of medicine has protected and treated patients as if they were a single species. This has resulted in unintended damage to the microbiome and an epidemic of chronic disorders [e.g., noncommunicable diseases and conditions (NCDs)]. Along with NCDs came loss of colonization resistance, increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, and increasing multimorbidity and polypharmacy over the life course. To move toward sustainable healthcare, the human microbiome needs to be front and center. This paper presents microbiome-human physiology from the view of systems biology regulation. It also details the ongoing NCD epidemic including the role of existing drugs and other factors that damage the human microbiome. Examples are provided for two entryway NCDs, asthma and obesity, regarding their extensive network of comorbid NCDs. Finally, the challenges of ensuring safety for the microbiome are detailed. Under Microbiome-First Medicine and considering the importance of keystone bacteria and critical windows of development, changes in even a few microbiota-prioritized medical decisions could make a significant difference in health across the life course.

Effects of Fatty Acid Oxidation and Its Regulation on Dendritic Cell-Mediated Immune Responses in Allergies: An Immunometabolism Perspective

Type 1 allergies, involve a complex interaction between dendritic cells and other immune cells, are pathological type 2 inflammatory immune responses against harmless allergens. Activated dendritic cells undergo extensive phenotypic and functional changes to exert their functions. The activation, differentiation, proliferation, migration, and mounting of effector reactions require metabolic reprogramming. Dendritic cells are important upstream mediators of allergic responses and are therefore an important effector of allergies. Hence, a better understanding of the underlying metabolic mechanisms of functional changes that promote allergic responses of dendritic cells could improve the prevention and treatment of allergies. Metabolic changes related to dendritic cell activation have been extensively studied. This review briefly outlines the basis of fatty acid oxidation and its association with dendritic cell immune responses. The relationship between immune metabolism and effector function of dendritic cells related to allergic diseases can better explain the induction and maintenance of allergic responses. Further investigations are warranted to improve our understanding of disease pathology and enable new treatment strategies.

Taurine promotes the production of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Treg cells through regulating IL-35/STAT1 pathway in a mouse allergic rhinitis model

Background

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most widespread immune conditions worldwide. However, common treatments often present with significant side effects or are cost-prohibitive for much of the population. A plethora of treatments have been used for the treatment of AR including antihistamines, steroids, and immune modulators. Among the treatments which have shown potential for efficacy in treating AR with a minimum of side effects but remains understudied is the conditionally essential amino acid taurine. Taurine has been previously shown to reduce AR symptoms. Here, we examine the role of taurine in modulating T regulatory cells, modulating the cytokine response in AR, and restoring healthy nasal mucosa.

Methods

Blood samples from 20 healthy donors and 20 AR patients were compared for CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ T regulatory (Treg) cell population percentage, cytokine release, and STAT1 signaling with and without taurine treatment or IL-35 neutralization. An OVA-induced AR mouse model was administered vehicle, taurine, or taurine plus an IL-35 neutralizing antibody and assayed for sneezing frequency, inflammatory cytokine response, nasal mucosa goblet cell density, and T regulatory cell percentage. CD4⁺ cells were further examined for cytokine release, STAT1 phosphorylation, and response to an anti-IL-35 antibody with and without a STAT1 inhibitor.

Results

Comparison of blood from normal donors and AR patients showed a reduction in CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ Treg cells in AR patients and a strong correlation between Treg percentage and IL-35 release. A similar pattern of Treg suppression was found in untreated AR mice when compared to normal control mice wherein there was a reduction in Treg percentage and a corresponding decrease in IL-35 release. AR mice also demonstrated increased sneezing frequency, an infiltration of goblet cell in nasal mucosa, and a reduction in IL-35 release from CD4⁺ cells. Conversely, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 secretion from CD4⁺ cells were increased in AR model mice, as was STAT1 phosphorylation. When AR mice were treated with taurine, sneezing frequency and nasal mucosa goblet cell content were reduced while Treg abundance was increased to that of normal mice. Accordingly, IL-35 release was restored, while IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 secretion from CD4⁺ cells were suppressed. Likewise, STAT1 phosphorylation was inhibited with taurine treatment. Taurine-treated mice also given an IL-35 neutralizing antibody exhibited AR pathology including frequent sneezing and high nasal goblet cell content while retaining a restoration of Tregs. Furthermore, murine AR model CD4⁺ cells exposed to recombinant IL-35 responded with a reduction in inflammatory cytokine release and a decrease in STAT1 phosphorylation, mimicking the effect of taurine treatment.

Conclusions

Taurine induces release of IL-35 in AR; IL-35 promotes the production of CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ Treg cells via a STAT1-dependent pathway. The restoration of Treg populations by taurine normalizes the inflammatory response, reduces AR symptomology, and reduces histopathologic signs of AR.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13223-021-00562-1.

Prevention and Management with Pro-, Pre and Synbiotics in Children with Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis: A Narrative Review

Allergic diseases including allergic rhinitis and asthma are increasing in the developing world, related to a westernizing lifestyle, while the prevalence is stable and decreasing in the industrialized world. This paper aims to answer the question if prevention and/or treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma can be achieved by administrating pro-, pre- and/or synbiotics that might contribute to stabilizing the disturbed microbiome that influences the immune system through the gut-lung axis. We searched for relevant English articles in PubMed and Google Scholar. Articles interesting for the topic were selected using subject heading and key words. Interesting references in included articles were also considered. While there is substantial evidence from animal studies in well controlled conditions that selected probiotic strains may offer benefits in the prevention of wheezing and asthma, outcomes from clinical studies in infants (including as well pre- and postnatal administration) are disappointing. The latter may be related to the multiple confounding factors such as environment, strain selection and dosage, moment of administration and genetic background. There is little evidence to recommend administration of pro, pre- or synbiotics in the prevention of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children.

Regulatory B Cells and Its Role in Central Nervous System Inflammatory Demyelinating Diseases

Regulatory B (Breg) cells represent a population of suppressor B cells that participate in immunomodulatory processes and inhibition of excessive inflammation. The regulatory function of Breg cells have been demonstrated in mice and human with inflammatory diseases, cancer, after transplantation, and particularly in autoinflammatory disorders. In order to suppress inflammation, Breg cells produce anti-inflammatory mediators, induce death ligand-mediated apoptosis, and regulate many kinds of immune cells such as suppressing the proliferation and differentiation of effector T cell and increasing the number of regulatory T cells. Central nervous system Inflammatory demyelinating diseases (CNS IDDs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders, which occur against the background of an acute or chronic inflammatory process. With the advent of monoclonal antibodies directed against B cells, breakthroughs have been made in the treatment of CNS IDDs. Therefore, the number and function of B cells in IDDs have attracted attention. Meanwhile, increasing number of studies have confirmed that Breg cells play a role in alleviating autoimmune diseases, and treatment with Breg cells has also been proposed as a new therapeutic direction. In this review, we focus on the understanding of the development and function of Breg cells and on the diversification of Breg cells in CNS IDDs.