Oral administration of lactobacilli from human intestinal tract protects mice against influenza virus infection.
OBJECTIVE
Our study was conducted to evaluate the potent protective effects of oral administration of probiotic Lactobacillus strains against influenza virus (Flu) infection in a mouse model.


RESULTS
Lyophilized Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Lactobacillus gasseri TMC0356 (TMC0356) were orally administered to BALB/c mice for 19 days. The test mice were intranasally infected with Flu A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) on day 14, and any changes in clinical symptoms were monitored. After 6 days of infection, the mice were killed and pulmonary virus titres were determined. The clinical symptom scores of mice administered oral LGG and TMC0356 were significantly ameliorated, compared to those of the control mice (P < 0.01). The pulmonary virus titres of the mice fed LGG and TMC0356 were also significantly decreased compared to those of control mice (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that oral administration of lactobacilli, such as LGG and TMC0356, might protect a host animal against Flu infection.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate that oral administration of selected lactobacilli might protect host animals from Flu infection by interactions with gut immunity.
Kawase
M
M
Technical Research Laboratory, Takanashi Milk Products Co., Ltd., Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
He
F
F
Kubota
A
A
Harata
G
G
Hiramatsu
M
M
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D008168:Lung / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019562:Viral Load