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Probiotic pretreatment is an effective non-antibiotic strategy for preventing or controlling Salmonella infections. We found that Lactobacillus johnsonii L531, isolated from the colon of a clinically healthy weaned piglet, effectively prevented infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis in a pig model. Newly weaned piglets were intragastrically administered Lactobacillus johnsonii L531 at 1.0 × 1010 CFU/day for 1 week before S. Infantis challenge. Pretreatment with L. johnsonii L531 lessened the severity of diarrhea and ileal inflammation in S. Infantis–infected piglets. Lactobacilli were more abundant in the ileum than jejunum after L. johnsonii L531 pretreatment. Treatment with L. johnsonii L531 reduced the abundance of total bacteria in the ileal mucosa and the production of lipocalin 2 in the jejunum of piglets challenged with Salmonella. Both intestinal morphology and transmission electron microscopy results indicated that L. johnsonii L531 alleviated intestinal tissue damage following S. Infantis challenge, especially in the villus and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). ER stress induced by S. Infantis was attenuated by L. johnsonii L531 treatment. The number of CD4− CCR6+ T cells decreased following S. Infantis challenge, but the percentage of CCR6− IFNγ+ T cells in peripheral blood increased. In intestinal mesenteric lymph nodes, S. Infantis increased the proportion of CCR6+ IFNγ+ T cells, whereas L. johnsonii L531 induced an increase in the proportion of CD4+ CCR6+ T cells in response to S. Infantis infection. Our data thus suggest that L. johnsonii L531 contributes to the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis by modulating T-cell responses and ER stress.

Mastitis affects cows in all regions of the world and Escherichia coli (E. coli) is by far the most common reason of mastitis. Now antibiotic therapy is still the preferred approach of treating mastitis. However, antibiotic usage is easy to lead to antibiotic resistance. There is an urgent need for developing efficacious alternative antimicrobials. Pheromonicin-NM (PMC-NM) is a new engineered bactericidal peptide consisting of colicin Ia and an anti-porin A antibody mimetic. It can lead to the dissipation of cellular energy and therefore kill the bacteria rapidly. The aim of the present study was to investigate the comparative effects of PMC-NM and antibiotic ceftiofur on antibacterial and innate immune responses of bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC) to E. coli infection. We found that E. coli growth was inhibited by PMC-NM from 0.5 h after treatment and was completely inhibited at 3 h, indicating a rapid antibacterial activity for PMC-NM. The mRNA expression of TLR2, IL-1β, IL-8, lactoferrin, LAP, TAP and DEFB1 was increased by PMC-NM treatment at 2 h after E. coli infection, suggesting the enhanced inflammatory responses induced by PMC-NM contribute to pathogens clearance at early phase. By contrast, in E. coli-infected BMECs, ceftiofur treatment upregulated TLR2 and NOD2 levels at 12 h, and extremely elevated transcription levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-8, lactoferrin, LAP, TAP, BNBD5, DEFB1 at 6 h. The excessive expression of these genes at later phase can induce uncontrolled inflammatory responses and finally cause damage. Taken together, PMC-NM might be used as an ideal antibacterial agent against E. coli mastitis.

In the current study, we screened Lactobacillus strains isolated from the colon of clinically healthy weaned piglets for potential probiotic properties and isolated Lactobacillus. johnsonii L531, which produced high levels of beneficial metabolites (butyric, acetic, and lactic acid) in vitro. We also evaluated the efficacy of this metabolites-producing probiotic in treating Salmonella. Infantis infection. Oral administration of L. johnsonii L531 to newly weaned piglets significantly decreased levels of Salmonella colonization in colonic and jejunal contents, accelerated the clearance of Salmonella in feces after infection, and reduced S. Infantis translocation to the spleen. Pretreatment with SCFAs-promoting probiotic L. johnsonii L531 significantly ameliorated the depletion of SCFAs induced by S. Infantis infection and led to significantly greater weight gain and better feed conversion ratios compared to piglets challenged only with S. Infantis. These data provide further evidence that SCFAs-promoting probiotic L. johnsonii L531 treatment could be a suitable nonantibiotic alternative for controlling Salmonella infection and maintaining metabolic homeostasis, thereby enhancing the gut health of piglets during the critical weaning period.

The high rate of Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis (S. Infantis) infection poses significant risk for the development of non-typhoidal Salmonella gastroenteritis. However, efficient strategies to prevent or treat the infection remain elusive. Here, we explored the effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) administration in preventing S. Infantis infection in a pig model. Probiotic LGG (1.0 × 1010 CFU/day) was orally administered to newly weaned piglets for 1 week before S. Infantis challenge. LGG pretreatment reduced the severity of diarrhea and alleviated intestinal inflammation caused by S. Infantis. Pre-administration of LGG excluded Salmonella from colonization of the jejunal mucosa but increased the abundance of Bifidobacterium in the feces. LGG promoted the expansion of CD4+ T-bet+ IFNγ+ T cells but attenuated S. Infantis-induced increases in the percentage of CD4+ IFNγ+ T cells and serum interleukin (IL)-22 levels in peripheral blood after S. Infantis challenge. In the small intestine, LGG pretreatment upregulated expression of the transcription factor T-bet but downregulated the S. Infantis-induced increase of CD4+ IFNγ+ T cells in Peyer's patches and IL-7Rα expression in the jejunum. Notably, LGG-treated pigs had enhanced expression of IL-22 and activated STAT3 in the ileum in response to S. Infantis infection. Pretreatment of pigs with LGG also elevated intestinal IL-22-binding protein production in response to S. Infantis challenge. In contrast, LGG consumption reduced the S. Infantis-induced increase in the number of CCL20-expressing cells in the jejunum. Our results suggest that the mechanism by which LGG ameliorates the intestinal inflammation caused by S. Infantis involves the upregulation of T-bet, activation of STAT3, and downregulation of CCL20.

In this study, we investigated the effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG strain (LGG) in ameliorating enteritis in newly weaned pigs following challenge with a monophasic variant of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (serotyped as 4,[5],12:i:-), which has been linked to disease in humans and livestocks over the past 10 years. In weaned pigs, S. enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- induced the mRNA expression of toll like receptor (TLR) 5 and TLR4, while increasing interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-6 mRNA expression in the jejunum. The monophasic variant Salmonella stimulated the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 1/2 (NOD1/2) mRNA in the ileum, which was accompanied by phosphorylation of IκB-α, an inhibitor of NF-κB, activating the NF-κB pathway and promoting the release of inflammatory cytokines. Oral administration of LGG attenuated the Salmonella-induced increases in the expression of NOD1 mRNA of jejunal and ileal tissues. LGG promoted the secretion of immunoglobulin A in different intestinal segments but did not induce expression of polymeric immunoglobulin receptor. LGG also impeded the activation of the Nod-like receptor protein (NLRP) 6/apoptosis-associated speck-like protein/caspase-1 inflammasome and decreased the production of IL-18 in the ileum during Salmonella infection. In contrast, activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome was not altered. Our data indicate that LGG accelerated the clearance of Salmonella in the early phase of infection and prevented the excessive inflammatory responses in S. enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- model. LGG ameliorates inflammation induced by infection with the monophasic variant Salmonella via inhibition of the canonical NF-κB pathway and attenuation of the NLRP6-mediated inflammasome in the intestine.

Efficient strategies for treating enteritis caused by F4+ enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)/verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC)/enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) in mucin 4 resistant (MUC4 RR; supposed to be F4ab/ac receptor–negative [F4ab/acR−]) pigs remain elusive. A low (3.9 × 108 CFU/day) or high (7.8 × 108 CFU/day) dose of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis spore mixture (BLS-mix) was orally administered to MUC4 RR piglets for 1 week before F4+ ETEC/VTEC/EPEC challenge. Orally fed BLS-mix upregulated the expression of TLR4, NOD2, iNOS, IL-8, and IL-22 mRNAs in the small intestine of pigs challenged with E. coli. Expression of chemokine CCL28 and its receptor CCR10 mRNAs was upregulated in the jejunum of pigs pretreated with high-dose BLS-mix. Low-dose BLS-mix pretreatment induced an increase in the proportion of peripheral blood CD4−CD8− T-cell subpopulations and high-dose BLS-mix induced the expansion of CD4−CD8− T cells in the inflamed intestine. Immunostaining revealed that considerable IL-7Rα–expressing cells accumulated at the lamina propria of the inflamed intestines after E. coli challenge, even in pigs pretreated with either low- or high-dose BLS-mix, although Western blot analysis of IL-7Rα expression in the intestinal mucosa did not show any change. Our data indicate that oral administration of the probiotic BLS-mix partially ameliorates E. coli-induced enteritis through facilitating upregulation of intestinal IL-22 and IκBα expression, and preventing loss of intestinal epithelial barrier integrity via elevating ZO-1 expression. However, IL-22 also elicits an inflammatory response in inflamed intestines as a result of infection with enteropathogenic bacteria. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13567-016-0355-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Although breeding of F4 receptor − negative (F4R−) pigs may prevent post-weaning diarrhea, the underlying immunity is poorly understood. Here, various doses of a Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis mixture (BLS-mix) were orally administered to F4ab/acR− pigs for 1 week before F4 (K88) − positive ETEC/VTEC/EPEC challenge. Administration of BLS-mix increased the percentage of Foxp3−IL-10+ T cells but not of Foxp3+IL-10+ regulatory T (Treg) cells among peripheral blood CD4+ T cells. A low dose of BLS-mix feeding resulted in increased the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, and the transcription factors Foxp3 and T-bet mRNAs in the jejunum. Administration of either a low or high dose BLS-mix also led to an increase in the percentage of CD4+Foxp3+ Treg cells among intraepithelial lymphocytes and CD4+IL-10+ T cells in the small intestinal Peyer’s patches and the lamina propria of F4ab/acR− pigs following F4+ ETEC/VTEC/EPEC challenge. The increased number of IL-10–producing CD4+ T cells was attributed to an increase in the proportion of Foxp3−IL-10+ Treg cells rather than Foxp3+IL-10+ Treg cells. Our data indicate that oral administration of BLS-mix to newly weaned F4ab/acR− pigs ameliorates enteritis in an F4+ ETEC/VTEC/EPEC model; however, induction of IL-10–producing Foxp3− Treg cells by BLS-mix administration cannot account for the protection of newly weaned F4ab/acR− pigs from F4+ ETEC/VTEC/EPEC infection, and that excessive generation of CD4+IL-10+ T cells following consumption of BLS-mix during episodes of intestinal inflammation that is caused by enteric pathogens might prohibit clearance of the pathogen. Select probiotic mixtures may allow for tailoring strategies to prevent infectious diseases. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13567-015-0223-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are important intestinal pathogens that cause diarrhea in humans and animals. Although probiotic bacteria may protect against ETEC-induced enteric infections, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this study, porcine intestinal epithelial J2 cells (IPEC-J2) were pre-incubated with and without Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 and then exposed to F4+ ETEC. Increases in TLR4 and NOD2 mRNA expression were observed at 3 h after F4+ ETEC challenge, but these increases were attenuated by L. rhamnosus treatment. Expression of TLR2 and NOD1 mRNA was up-regulated in cells pre-treated with L. rhamnosus. Pre-treatment with L. rhamnosus counteracted F4+ ETEC-induced increases in TNF-α concentration. Increased PGE2. concentrations were observed in cells infected with F4+ ETEC and in cells treated with L. rhamnosus only. A decrease in phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was observed at 3 h after F4+ ETEC challenge in cells treated with L. rhamnosus. Pre-treatment with L. rhamnosus enhanced Akt phosphorylation and increased ZO-1 and occludin protein expression. Our findings suggest that L. rhamnosus protects intestinal epithelial cells from F4+ ETEC-induced damage, partly through the anti-inflammatory response involving synergism between TLR2 and NOD1. In addition, L. rhamnosus promotes EGFR-independent Akt activation, which may activate intestinal epithelial cells in response to bacterial infection, in turn increasing tight junction integrity and thus enhancing the barrier function and restricting pathogen invasion. Pre-incubation with L. rhamnosus was superior to co-incubation in reducing the adhesion of F4+ ETEC to IPEC-J2 cells and subsequently attenuating F4+ ETEC-induced mucin layer destruction and suppressing apoptosis. Our data indicate that a selected L. rhamnosus strain interacts with porcine intestinal epithelial cells to maintain the epithelial barrier and promote intestinal epithelial cell activation in response to bacterial infection, thus protecting cells from the deleterious effects of F4+ ETEC.