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Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Modulates the Mucosal Immune Response in Giardia intestinalis-Infected BALB/c Mice

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Abstract

Background

Gut homeostasis can be altered by the oral administration of health-promoting microorganisms, namely probiotics that are known to reinforce the host immune response.

Aim

The aim of this study was to elucidate the immunomodulatory effect of orally administered probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) in Giardia-infected mice.

Methods

BALB/c mice were fed orally with probiotic LGG either 7 days prior to or simultaneously with the challenge dose of Giardia trophozoites. The administration of the probiotic was continued for 25 days, and immunomodulatory potentials in terms of secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels, CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes, and expression of pro-inflammatory [tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma (INF-γ)] and anti-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-10] were studied.

Results

Oral feeding of LGG prior to or simultaneously with the test dose of Giardia seems to have modulated both arms (humoral and cellular) of the mucosal immune system since a significant increase in the levels of specific secretory IgA antibody, IgA+ cells, and CD4+ T lymphocytes were observed in contrast with the decreased percentage of cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes. The stimulated mucosal immune response in probiotic fed Giardia-infected mice was further correlated with the enhanced levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine INF-γ.

Conclusions

This is the first study to show that oral administration of the effective probiotic LGG to Giardia infected mice could be used as a bacterio-therapy that restores the normal gut microflora and modulates the mucosal immune response.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Mr. Bhandari, Senior technician, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India for maintaining and providing the Giardia intestinalis culture. The authors are also thankful to Mrs. Bhupinder Singh, Senior technician, PGIMER, for operating the FACS analyzer and to Mr. Gurpreet Singh, technician, PGIMER, for preparing frozen sections of the intestine. The work was funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India.

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  1. Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India

    Nisha Goyal & Geeta Shukla

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  1. Nisha Goyal
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  2. Geeta Shukla
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Correspondence to Geeta Shukla.

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Goyal, N., Shukla, G. Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Modulates the Mucosal Immune Response in Giardia intestinalis-Infected BALB/c Mice. Dig Dis Sci 58, 1218–1225 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-012-2503-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-012-2503-y

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