title: [Effect of lactobacilli on Th1/Th2 cells balance in primary lymphocytes].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the effect of 7 Lactobacillus species on proliferation and cytokine production of primary lymphocytes, and explored the effect on the Th1/Th2 cells balance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mouse spleen cells were stimulated with active/heat-killed Lactobacillus strains at different species and concentrations. After be cultured with bacteria 60 hours, the proliferation of splenocytes were tested by MTT colorimetry, and IL-12, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-β were detected by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) Both alive and heat-killed Lactobacillus species could accelerate the proliferation of spleen cells in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05), the immuneological activity of heat-killed L.fermentum and L.acidophilu were not inferior to the live strains, especially when treated at higher dose(10(7);CFU/mL, bacteria: cell ratio of 10:1). Furthermore, these two heat-killed bacterial strains suppressed IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-β production by stimulating IL-12 and IFN-γ production, and their IFN-γ/IL-4 value which represent the Th1/Th2 balance were higher than ConA control group significantly(P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that Lactobacillus strains may differ in their respective ability to improve Th1/Th2 cells balance toward Th1 dominance via increasing the secretion ratio of IFN-γ/IL-4 (Th1/Th2) by splenocytes.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, Food Science College, Northeast Agriculture University, Harbin 150030, China. aili-mail@163.com
authors.forename: Ai-li
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong-xue
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xiang-chen
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Meng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma