Importance of the Immunomodulator effect of probiotic bacteria

CHAVES, A S; BIBAS BONET, M. E; MESÓN, O., PERDIGÓN G.

Tafi del Valle. Tucumán

Jornada; XX Jornadas Científicas de la Sociedad de Biología de Tucumán; 2003

Sociedad de Biología de Tucumán.

It is very difficult to establish the dose and times of administration for a probiotic. Aim: To investigate the effect of probiotic administration for long period of time on the immune system. Material and methods: Balb/c mice were fed cyclically with suspensions of L. casei during three and half months. At the end of each period of feeding, mice were sacrificed and the peritoneal macrophages, small intestine, bronchus were removed and blood was draw. Results: The administration of L. casei for longs periods of time increased the phagocytic activity of the peritoneal macrophages during 14 weeks. The number of IgA+ cells in small intestine increased throughout the study. The number of IgA+ cells from bronchus increased only for two days of administration. TNF α(+) cells increased in the two first weeks. L. casei induced a significant increase of antiovoalbumin IgG antibodies in the serum. Conclusion L. casei administration by prolonged time stimulated the intestinal mucosal immunity inducing that IgA cycle and TNFα production, but the effect in bronchus was not persistent demonstrating that the continuous consumption of probiotic bacteria is innocuous.