Open AccessOrally administered heat‐killed L actobacillus gasseri TMC 0356 can upregulate cell‐mediated immunity in senescence‐accelerated mice
Author(s) -
Kawase Manabu,
He Fang,
Miyazawa Kenji,
Kubota Akira,
Yoda Kazutoyo,
Hiramatsu Masaru
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2011.02440.x
Subject(s) - immunosenescence , lactobacillus gasseri , immunity , biology , immune system , spleen , senescence , immunology , lactobacillus , genetics , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology
The present study was conducted to test the ability of probiotic lactobacilli to alter age‐related immunosenescence in host animals. Senescence‐accelerated mouse prone 1 mice were orally fed heat‐killed L actobacillus gasseri TMC 0356 ( TMC 0356) for 4 and 8 weeks at dosages of 10 mg day −1 after a 16‐week period of prefeeding with a standard diet. After 4 and 8 weeks of TMC 0356 intervention, splenic activation of natural killer ( NK ) cells and mRNA expression of cytokines and other immune molecules in the lungs were analysed. After 4 and 8 weeks, splenic NK cell activities were significantly higher in the TMC 0356‐fed mice compared with control mice ( P < 0.05). After 4 weeks, mRNA expression of interleukin‐2 and interferon‐(α and β) receptor 1 in lung cells isolated from the TMC 0356‐fed mice also increased significantly compared with that in lung cells from the control mice ( P < 0.05). These results suggest that lactobacilli, especially certain selected strains, might enhance cell‐mediated immunity in host animals and thereby alter age‐related immunosenescence.