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The intestinal ecosystem contains a normal microbiota, non-immune cells and immune cells associated with the intestinal mucosa. The mechanisms involved in the modulation of the gut immune system by probiotics are not yet completely understood. The present work studies the effect of a fermented milk containing probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus (Lb.) casei DN114001 on different parameters of the gut immune system involved with the nonspecific, innate and adaptive response. BALB/c mice received the probiotic bacterium Lb. casei DN114001 or the probiotic fermented milk (PFM). The interaction of the probiotic bacteria with the intestine was studied by electron and fluorescence microscopy. The immunological parameters were studied in the intestinal tissue and in the supernatant of intestinal cells (IC). Results showed that the probiotic bacterium interact with the IC. The whole bacterium or its fragments make contact with the gut associated immune cells. The PFM stimulated the IC with IL-6 release, as well as cells related to the nonspecific barrier and with the immune cells associated with the gut. This last activity was observed through the increase in the population of different immune cells : T lymphocytes and IgA+ B lymphocytes, and by the expression of cell markers related to both innate and adaptive response (macrophages). PFM was also able to activate the enzyme calcineurine responsible for the activation of the transcriptional factor NFAT. PFM induced mucosal immune stimulation reinforcing the non-specific barrier and modulating the innate immune response in the gut, maintaining the intestinal homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microbial colonization of the intestine after birth is an important step for the development of the gut immune system. The acquisition of passive immunity through breast-feeding may influence the pattern of bacterial colonization in the newborn. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the administration of a probiotic fermented milk (PFM) containing yogurt starter cultures and the probiotic bacteria strain Lactobacillus casei DN-114001 to mothers during nursing or their offspring, on the intestinal bacterial population and on parameters of the gut immune system. Results: Fifteen mice of each group were sacrificed at ages 12, 21, 28 and 45 days. Large intestines were taken for determination of intestinal microbiota, and small intestines for the study of secretory-IgA (S-IgA) in fluid and the study of IgA+ cells, macrophages, dendritic cells and goblet cells on tissue samples. The consumption of the PFM either by the mother during nursing or by the offspring after weaning modified the development of bifidobacteria population in the large intestine of the mice. These modifications were accompanied with a decrease of enterobacteria population. The administration of this PFM to the mothers improved their own immune system and this also affected their offspring. Offspring from mice that received PFM increased S-IgA in intestinal fluids, which mainly originated from their mother's immune system. A decrease in the number of macrophages, dendritic cells and IgA+ cells during the suckling period in offspring fed with PFM was observed; this could be related with the improvement of the immunity of the mothers, which passively protect their babies. At day 45, the mice reach maturity of their own immune system and the effects of the PFM was the stimulation of their mucosal immunity. Conclusion: The present work shows the beneficial effect of the administration of a PFM not only to the mothers during the suckling period but also to their offspring after weaning and until adulthood. This effect positively improved the intestinal microbiota that are related with a modulation of the gut immune response, which was demonstrated with the stimulation of the IgA + cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is characterized by extensive inflammation due to dysregulation of the innate and adaptive immune system whose exact etiology is not yet completely understood. Currently there is no cure for IBD, thus the search for new molecules capable of controlling IBD and their delivery to the site of inflammation are the goal of many researchers. The aim of this work was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of the administration of milks fermented by a Lactococcus (L.) lactis strain producing 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1) using a trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced IBD mouse model. The results obtained demonstrated that 15-LOX-1 producing L. lactis was effective in the prevention of the intestinal damage associated to inflammatory bowel disease in a murine model. The work also confirmed previous studies showing that fermented milk is an effective form of administration of recombinant lactic acid bacteria expressing beneficial molecules.

Although it is now known that the human body is colonized by a wide variety of microbial populations in different parts (such as the mouth, pharynx and respiratory system, the skin, the gastro- and urogenital tracts), many effects of the complex interactions between the human host and microbial symbionts are still not completely understood. The dysbiosis of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota is considered to be one of the most important contributing factors in the development of many gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome and colorectal cancer, as well as systemic diseases like obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Fecal microbial transplantations appear to be promising therapies for dysbiosis-associated diseases; however, probiotic microorganisms have been growing in popularity due to increasing numbers of studies proving that certain strains present health promoting properties, among them the beneficial balance of the intestinal microbiota. Inflammatory bowel diseases and obesity are the pathologies in which there are more studies showing this beneficial association using animal models and even in human clinical trials. In this review, the association of the human gut microbiota and human health will be discussed along with the benefits that probiotics can confer on this symbiotic activity and on the prevention or treatment of associated diseases.

Objective: Obesity is associated with alterations in intestinal microbiota and immunity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of probiotic Lactobacillus casei CRL 431 administration on intestinal and humoral immune response, clinical parameters, and gut microbiota was evaluated using a high-fat diet to induce obesity in a mouse model., Methods: Adult mice received a conventional balanced diet or a high-fat diet supplemented with milk, milk fermented by Lactobacillus casei (FM), L. casei as suspension, or water over 60 d. Histology of liver and small intestine (SI), immunoglobulin A-positive cells and macrophages in SI, phagocytic activity of spleen and peritoneal macrophages, and humoral immune response to ovalbumin were studied. Clinical parameters in serum and gut microbiota were also analyzed., Results: FM was the most effective supplement for decreasing body weight and clinical parameters in serum. The histology of liver and SI was also improved in obese mice given FM. These animals had increased numbers of immunoglobulin A-positive cells and macrophages in SI. The gut microbiota showed that obese mice given probiotics had increased Bacteroides and bifidobacteria. Administration of FM or L. casei as suspension enhanced the phagocytic activity of macrophages. The anti-ovalbumin specific immune response was not increased by any supplement assayed., Conclusion: Administration of probiotics to obese hosts improved the gut microbiota and the mucosal immunity altered by obesity, down-regulated some biochemical parameters in blood associated with metabolic syndrome, and decreased liver steatosis. These results demonstrate the potential use of probiotics in obese individuals to decrease the body weight and to improve the biochemical and immunologic parameters altered by obesity., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The population tends to consume foods that in addition to their nutritional values can offer some benefits to their health. There are many epidemiological evidences and research studies in animal models suggesting that diet plays an important role in breast cancer prevention or progression. This review summarized some of the relevant researches about nutrition and cancer during the last years, especially in breast cancer. The analysis of probiotics and fermented products containing lactic acid bacteria in cancer prevention and/or treatment was especially discussed. It was observed that a balance of fatty acids similar to those of traditional Mediterranean diet, the consumption of fruits and vegetables, dietary fiber intake, vitamin supplementation are, along with the intake of probiotic products, the most extensively studied by the negative association to breast cancer risk. The consumption of probiotics and fermented products containing lactic acid bacteria was associated to reduce breast cancer risk in some epidemiological studies. The use of animal models showed the modulation of the host's immune response as one of the important effects associated to the benefices observed with most probiotics. However; future assays in human are very important before the medical community can accept the addition of probiotic or fermented milks containing lactic acid bacteria as supplements for cancer patients.

The prevention of pathogen infections is one of the most extensively studied effects of probiotics. L. casei CRL 431 is a probiotic bacterium and its effects on the gut immune cells have been extensively studied. The aim of the present study was to determine, using a mouse model, the preventive and therapeutic effect of L. casei CRL 431 to achieve protection against Salmonella enteritidis serovar Typhimurium infection. In both previous and continuous (previous and post-infection) probiotic administration, the mechanisms induced by this lactic acid bacteria on the first line of intestinal defense (non-specific barrier and the innate immune cells associated to the gut), as a way to understand some of the mechanisms involved in the protection against Salmonella enteritidis serovar Typhimurium, were analyzed. The results obtained demonstrated that 7 days L. casei CRL 431 administration before infection decreased the severity of the infection with Salmonella enteritidis serovar Typhimurium, demonstrating that the continuous administration (even after infection) had the best effect. This continuous administration diminished the counts of the pathogen in the intestine as well as its spread outside this organ. Several mechanisms and cells are involved in this protective effect against Salmonella enteritidis serovar Typhimurium. L. casei CRL 431 acted on cells of the innate and adaptive immune response. The probiotic administration decreased the neutrophil infiltration with the consequent diminution of intestinal inflammation; activated the macrophage phagocytic activity in different sites such as Peyer's patches, spleen and peritoneum; and increased the number of IgA+cells in the lamina propria of the small intestine which was correlated with increased release of s-IgA specific against the pathogen in the intestinal fluids. The mechanism of the inhibition of cellular apoptosis was not involved., ((c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)