Oral administration of heat-killed Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 reduces cedar pollen antigen-induced peritoneal eosinophilia in Mice

The Role of Gut Microbiota and Innate Immune Response in an Autoimmune Pancreatitis Model

BACKGROUND

Although the involvement of intestinal microbiota in innate immunity has been reported recently, the pathogenicity of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether probiotics ameliorate inflammation in AIP through interactions with innate immunity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The AIP mouse model was generated by intraperitoneal administration of Escherichia coli to C56BL/6 female mice. Alterations in the intestinal microbiota in the AIP group were evaluated using high-throughput sequencing. Peritoneal macrophages (PMs) were collected and cocultured in vitro with Lactobacillus gasseri (LG) or ligands of Toll-like receptors (TLRs). LG was administered intraperitoneally to AIP model mice, and pancreatitis activity was evaluated to examine the ameliorative effects of LG.

RESULTS

In the AIP model mice, inflammation was significantly induced in the pancreas, and the intestinal microbiota was altered with decreased LG. Antimicrobial treatment suppressed pancreatitis. In vitro, E. coli stimulation increased inflammatory cytokine expression, which was significantly decreased when the LG or TLR7 ligand was cocultured with PMs. Intraperitoneal administration of LG to AIP model mice significantly suppressed pancreatitis.

CONCLUSION

The mouse model demonstrated the involvement of intestinal microbiota in pancreatitis, and LG administration suppressed pancreatitis, possibly through TLR7 signaling in PMs. LG may be a helpful probiotic for treating AIP.

Suppressive Effect of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris YRC3780 on a Murine Model of Japanese Cedar Pollinosis

Accumulating evidence suggests that Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris YRC3780 isolated from kefir has the potential to alleviate allergic responses. Herein, we investigated the effect of YRC3780 on a murine model of Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCP). BALB/c mice immunized with cedar pollen extract (CPE) exhibited an increase in serum immunoglobulin E and developed nasal inflammatory responses including sneezing, nasal hyperresponsiveness, and nasal eosinophil accumulation upon intranasal allergen challenge. These responses were suppressed by the oral administration of YRC3780, although the effects on CPE-induced sneezing response and eosinophil infiltration were not statistically significant. Total fecal microbiota diversity was not affected by allergen immunization and challenge or by YRC3780 administration. However, the abundances of Bifidobacteriales, Veillonellaceae, Lactococcus, and Lactococcus lactis were larger and that of Bacteroides was smaller in YRC3780-treated mice compared with those in CPE-challenged and YRC3780-untreated mice. Our findings suggest the usefulness of YRC3780 for alleviating JCP.

Total RNA and genomic DNA of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 induce interleukin-12 production in the mouse macrophage cell line J774.1 via toll-like receptors 7 and 9

Background

Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 can highly induce interleukin (IL)-12 production in immune cells. Even though beneficial properties of this strain for both humans and animals have been reported, the mechanism by which the bacteria induces the production of IL-12 in immune cells remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of induction of IL-12 using a mouse macrophage cell line J774.1.

Results

Inhibition of phagocytosis of L. gasseri OLL2809, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 7 and 9 signalling attenuated IL-12 production in J774.1 cells. Total RNA and genomic DNA of L. gasseri OLL2809, when transferred to the J774.1 cells, also induced IL-12 production. The difference in the IL-12-inducing activity of Lactobacilli is attributed to the susceptibility to phagocytosis, but not to a difference in the total RNA and genomic DNA of each strain.

Conclusion

We concluded that total RNA and genomic DNA of phagocytosed L. gasseri OLL2809 induce IL-12 production in J774.1 cell via TLRs 7 and 9, and the high IL-12-inducing activity of L. gasseri OLL2809 is due to its greater susceptibility to phagocytosis.

Beneficial Effects of Oral Lactobacillus on Pain Severity in Women Suffering from Endometriosis: A Pilot Placebo-Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial

Background

This study assessed the effects of a lactobacillus-based medication on pain intensity scores in women with endometriosis.

Materials and Methods

The present randomized pilot placebo-controlled trial was done on eligible women who were surgically and pathologically diagnosed with endometriosis. Thirty-seven participants who had not received hormonal treatment in the last three months, were enrolled and randomized into LactoFem® and placebo groups. Lactobacillus capsules or placebo were administrated orally once a day for 8 weeks. Patients were assessed for pain severity using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores for dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia and chronic pelvic pain at baseline and after 8 and 12 weeks post-intervention.

Results

Mean age of participants and mean body mass index (BMI) for the LactoFem® and control groups were comparable. All patients had stage 3 and 4 of the disease based on revised American fertility society (AFS) classification of endometriosis. Mean initial pain scores for dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia and chronic pelvic pain were 6.53 ± 2.88, 4.82 ± 3.76 and 4.19 ± 3.53, respectively in the LactoFem® group and 5.60 ± 2.06, 3.67 ± 2.64 and 2.88 ± 2.80, respectively for the control group; the two groups had comparable scores in this regard. There was more decrease in pain scores for both dysmenorrhea and the overall pain after 8 weeks of treatment in LactoFem® group compared to the control group. The scores for dysmenorrhea were 6.53 ± 2.88 and 5.60 ± 2.06 in the LactoFem® and control groups, respectively, before intervention but, after 8-week treatment, these values were 3.07 ± 2.49 and 4.47 ± 2.13 (P=0.018), respectively. The changes in overall pain score in the LactoFem® and control group during this period were 7.33 ± 7.00 and 4.11 ± 1.68, respectively (P=0.017).

Conclusion

This study showed some beneficial effects of lactobacillus administration on endometriosis-related pain (Registration number: IRCT20150819023684N5).

Enhancement of Oral Tolerance Induction in DO11.10 Mice by Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 via Increase of Effector Regulatory T Cells

Food allergy is a serious problem for infants and young children. Induction of antigen-specific oral tolerance is one therapeutic strategy. Enhancement of oral tolerance induction by diet is a promising strategy to prevent food allergy in infants. Thus, in this study, we evaluate the effect of probiotic Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 (LG2809) on oral tolerance induction in a mouse model. The degree of oral tolerance induction was evaluated by measuring the proliferation and level of IL-2 production of splenic CD4⁺ T cells from DO11.10 mice fed ovalbumin (OVA) alone or OVA with LG2809. Oral administration of LG2809 significantly decreased the rate of proliferation and IL-2 production by CD4⁺ T cells from OVA-fed mice. LG2809 increased a ratio of CD4⁺ T-cell population, producing high levels of IL-10 and having strong suppressive activity. Moreover, LG2809 increased a ratio of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) among the lamina propria (LP) in small intestine. When used as antigen presenting cells to naïve CD4⁺ T cells from DO11.10 mice, LP cells from BALB/c mice fed LG2809 induced higher IL-10 production and stronger suppressive activity than those from non-treated mice. These results suggest that oral administration of LG2809 increases the population of pDCs in the LP, resulting in the enhancement of oral tolerance induction by increasing the ratio of effector regulatory T cells. LG2809 could, therefore, act as a potent immunomodulator to prevent food allergies by promoting oral tolerance.

Evaluation of the potential anti-allergic effects of heat-inactivated Lactobacillus paracasei V0151 in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo

The efficacy of Lactobacillus paracasei V0151 (V0151), isolated from the faeces of a child, to modulate immune responses was investigated. In RAW 264.7 cells expressing an inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-directed luciferase gene, heat-inactivated V0151 stimulated iNOS expression followed by nitric oxide production. V0151 significantly elevated interferon gamma, interleukin (IL)-10, tumour necrosis factor alpha, and IL-1β production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In splenocytes isolated from ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitised BALB/c mice treated with OVA and V0151 at different bacterium-to-cell ratios (1:1, 10:1, and 20:1) for 96 h, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 production was dose-dependently downregulated, whereas IL-12 was dose-dependently upregulated. Collectively, our findings indicate that V0151 might regulate pro-inflammatory factors in macrophages and splenocytes. Furthermore, the T helper 1/T helper 2 (Th1/Th2) balance was also skewed toward Th1 dominance through the elevation of Th1 cytokine production.

Effects of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 on the induced endometriosis in rats

We have reported an inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 (OLL2809) on the growth of mouse endometrial tissue in the abdominal cavity. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 (OLL2809) on pre-existing endometriosis implanted on the abdominal wall in diestrus Wistar-Imamichi female rats. One week after implantation, the volume of the endometrial tissue was measured after laparotomy. OLL2809 and dienogest were administered for 4 weeks. OLL2809 significantly enhanced the decrease in the volume (p<0.01) as compared with control. Complete healing was observed in two of nine rats, but in none of the control group. Dienogest did not show significant efficacy. These findings suggest that OLL2809 is useful not only in therapy of pre-existing endometriosis but also in the prevention of the growth of endometrial tissue.

Effects of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 and α-lactalbumin on university-student athletes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Strenuous exercise reduces immune cell function and increases the risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. In addition, it affects mood state and causes physical fatigue. Athletes require both mental and physical conditioning to execute good performance. In this study, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the immunopotentiation and fatigue-alleviation effects of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 (LG2809) and α-lactalbumin (αLA) in university-student athletes after strenuous exercise. A total of 44 university students who performed strenuous exercise daily were separated into 3 groups to receive a 4-week course of placebo, 100 mg LG2809, or 100 mg LG2809 in combination with 900 mg αLA, respectively. Before and after each dietary treatment, the subjects performed strenuous cycle ergometer exercise for 1 h. Before and after each exercise session, blood samples and visual analogue scale scores for fatigue were obtained. In addition, the mood of each subject before and after the dietary treatment was evaluated using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire. LG2809 ingestion was effective in preventing reduced natural killer cell activity due to strenuous exercise and elevating mood from a depressed state. In addition, LG2809 + αLA was found to alleviate minor resting fatigue, which was supported objectively by the significant reduction in the serum reactive oxygen metabolites and transforming growth factor β1 levels. These effects could be helpful for athletes to maintain mental and physical condition.

Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 and its RNA suppress proliferation of CD4(+) T cells through a MyD88-dependent signalling pathway

Recent studies have shown that probiotics are beneficial in prevention and improvement of inflammatory diseases. Accumulating evidence indicates that probiotics can modulate immune cell responses, although the specific molecular mechanism by which probiotics work remains elusive. Because T cells express receptors for microbial components, we examined whether the probiotic strain Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 (LG2809) and its components regulate murine CD4(+) T-cell activation. LG2809, as well as two other Lactobacillus strains, inhibited proliferation of CD4(+) T cells; LG2809 had the strongest suppressive activity among them. RNA isolated from LG2809 was also shown to have suppressive activity. We observed this suppressive effect in the culture of CD4(+) T cells stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 treatment, suggesting a direct effect on CD4(+) T cells. In contrast, the suppressive effect was not observed for CD4(+) T cells from myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) protein-deficient mice, and was abrogated in the presence of an anti-oxidant reagent, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). These results demonstrate that the suppressive effect of LG2809 and its RNA occurred through a MyD88-dependent signalling pathway and suggest involvement of a reactive oxygen species-dependent mechanism. LG2809 RNA injected subcutaneously suppressed delayed-type-hypersensitivity response in DO11.10 mice, and the suppression was abrogated by treatment with NAC. Collectively, these results suggest that suppression of T-cell proliferation by RNA may be one of the mechanisms when a probiotic bacterial strain exerts suppressive effects on inflammatory responses.

Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 inhibits development of ectopic endometrial cell in peritoneal cavity via activation of NK cells in a murine endometriosis model

We have previously reported that peritoneal administration of interleukin-12 (IL-12) suppresses development of ectopic endometriotic lesions via activation of natural killer (NK) cells in a mouse endometriosis model. Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 is one of a probiotic lactobacillus that has been selected on an ability to stimulate production of IL-12 from murine splenocytes. In this study, we examined whether the oral administration of heat-killed L. gasseri OLL2809 suppressed development of endometriosis. Administration of L. gasseri OLL2809 for 21 consecutive days resulted in reduction of the development of ectopic endometriotic lesions in an extent similar to IL-12. Although obvious effects of L. gasseri OLL2809 on the peritoneal cytokine levels, population of peritoneal cells as well as cytotoxicity of splenic NK cells, gene expression analysis of the peritoneal cells revealed enhancement in the transcription of IL-2 and natural killer cell triggering receptor 1 genes. Therefore, it was suggested that L. gasseri OLL2809 suppressed development of endometriosis via activation of NK cells.

Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 is effective especially on the menstrual pain and dysmenorrhea in endometriosis patients: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 on endometriosis by the randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical study, especially against pain, which is one of the causative factors to decrease the quality of life. Sixty-six patients clinically diagnosed with endometriosis were enrolled in this study, 62 of which have successfully completed the trial. The tablets containing 100 mg of L. gasseri OLL2809 (active tablet, n = 29) or placebo tablets (n = 33) were ingested once a day for 12 weeks. Visual analog scale (VAS) of pain intensity at the menstrual period and verbal rating scale (VRS) of dysmenorrhea were significantly improved by the ingestion of the active tablets as compared with placebo tablets. There was no significant change of blood examination and biochemical examination of blood in the enrolled patients. Above results show that the tablet containing L. gasseri OLL2809 is effective on endometriosis, especially against menstrual pain and dysmenorrhea. Moreover, it was found that the tablet has no adverse effects. Therefore, it was suggested that the tablet containing L. gaserri OLL2809 contributes to improve the quality of life in the patients with endometriosis.