Original article
Effects of immunomodulatory supplementation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus on airway inflammation in a mouse asthma model

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2014.08.001Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Background

Asthma is a common allergic disease. In previous studies, probiotics improved the balance of intestinal microbes, reduced inflammation, and promoted mucosal tolerance. This study investigated whether oral administrations of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) inhibited allergen (ovalbumin or OVA)-induced airway inflammation in a mouse asthma model.

Methods

The allergy/asthma animal model in this study was sensitization with OVA. After intranasal challenge with OVA, the airway inflammation and hyper-responsiveness were determined by a Buxco system, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis with Liu stain, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Histopathologic changes in the lung were detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry staining.

Results

Both pre- and post-treatment with LGG suppressed the airway hyper-responsiveness to methacholine and significantly decreased the number of infiltrating inflammatory cells and Th2 cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum compared with the OVA-sensitized mice. In addition, LGG reduced OVA-specific IgE levels in serum. Oral LGG decreased matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression in lung tissue and inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration.

Conclusion

LGG had an anti-inflammatory effect on OVA-induced airway inflammation and might be an additional or supplementary therapy for allergic airway diseases.

Keywords

airway hyper-responsiveness
asthma
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
probiotics

Cited by (0)

f

These two authors are co-first authors.