Beneficial modulation of respiratory immunity by orally administered kefiran

KOLLING, YANINA; SALVA, SUSANA; ZAVALA, LUCÍA; VILLENA, JULIO; PÉREZ, PABLO; ABRAHAM, ANALÍA; ALVAREZ, SUSANA

Buenos Aires

Congreso; IV LASID Meeting-LXIII Argentinean Society for Immunology Meeting-II French-Argentinean Immunology Meeting; 2015

Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología

Background: kefiran is the main exopolysaccharide isolated from kefir grains. Orally administered kefiran induces beneficial changes in the balance of intestinal mucosa immune cells. The aim of this work was to study whether kefiran is able to modulate immunity in the respiratory tract and improve the innate immune response against pneumococcal respiratory infection in mice. Methods: Adult Swiss mice received kefiran (300 mg/L) in the drinking water ad libitum for 2 consecutive days. On day 3, kefiran-treated and untreated control mice were infected nasally with Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) (109 UFC/mouse). Systemic and respiratory innate immune responses were evaluated before and after Sp challenge.Results: Kefiran-treated mice showed a significant reduction of lung and blood pneumococcal cell counts and lung tissue injuries after the challenge with Sp when compared to the control group (p