Nasally administered Lactobacillus rhamnosus accelerate the recovery of humoral immunity in B lymphocyte-deficient malnourished mice

BARBIERI NATALIA; JULIO VILLENA; MATÍAS HERRERA; SUSANA SALVA; SUSANA ALVAREZ

JOURNAL OF NUTRITION

AMER SOC NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE

Año: 2012

0022-3166

The ability of nasally administered Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505 to accelerate the recovery respiratory B cell mediated immunity against pneumococcal infection in replete malnourished mice was evaluated. Weaned mice were malnourished after consumption of a protein-free diet for 21 d. Malnourished mice were fed a balanced conventional diet for 7 d (BCD group); or BCD for 7 d with supplemental L. rhamnosus CRL1505 by the nasal route during the last 2 d (BCD+Lr group). Non-replete malnourished and normal mice were used as the malnourished (MNC) and the well-nourished (WNC) control groups respectively. Mice were challenged with Streptococcus pneumoniae at the end of each dietary treatment. Immune response was studied before the challenge and at different times post-infection. MNC mice had less resistance to pneumococcal infection, fewer mature and immature B cells in lung and spleen, and a reduced production of specific antibodies compared with WNC mice. BCD treatment was unable to induce a complete normalization of the number B cell populations and antibody levels. However the BCD+Lr group showed normal numbers of spleen and lungs B cell. Moreover, BCD+Lr mice had a significantly lower susceptibility to S. pneumoniae infection and higher levels of anti-pneumococcal antibodies. Although further studies are necessary in order to clarify the effect of malnutrition and nasally administered lactobacilli in other immune cell populations involved in the protection against respiratory pathogens, this work gives evidence of the importance of using nasal priming with probiotics to accelerate the recovery of respiratory immunity in immunocompromised malnourished hosts.