title: Lactobacillus Acidophilus strain L-92 regulates the production of Th1 cytokine as well as Th2 cytokines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is growing interest in probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB), not only for treatment of T helper type (Th) 1-mediated diseases but also for Th2-mediated diseases, including allergic diseases, since lactic acid bacteria may be able to modulate the Th1/Th2 balance, in addition to having an immunomodulative effect through induction of Th1 bias.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of oral administration of heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus Strain L-92 (L-92) on ovalbumin (OVA)-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E production was investigated in BALB/c mice. L-92 was orally administered to mice for 8 weeks from 2 weeks after initiation of OVA-immunization. Patterns of cytokine and Ig production in splenocytes and cells from Peyer's patches (PPs) from these mice were examined after restimulation with OVA in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  L-92 significantly suppressed serum OVA-specific IgE levels for a long period. Cytokines such as interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 and Igs such as total IgE and OVA-specific IgE were produced at significantly lower levels by splenocytes of L-92-treated mice, compared with those of control mice. In contrast, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and IgA levels produced by PPs from L-92-treated mice were significantly higher than in those from control mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral L-92 administration regulated both Th1 and Th2 cytokine responses, suppressed serum OVA-specific IgE, and induced TGF-beta production in PPs. TGF-beta is known to be associated with activation of regulatory T (Treg) cells. These data suggest that LAB may have immunomodulative effect by Treg cells via TGF-beta activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan. cbp10610@pop12.odn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.forename: Shinpei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: Hiroichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000276:immunology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology; D007779:Lactobacillus acidophilus / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology*; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010047:Ovalbumin