title: Lactobacillus pentosus strain b240 suppresses pneumonia induced by Streptococcus pneumoniae in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral administration of probiotics has been known to improve inflammatory responses against infectious diseases. Here, we describe the inhibitory effect of oral intake of heat-killed Lactobacillus pentosus strain b240 (b240) on pneumococcal pneumonia in a murine experimental model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mice treated with oral b240 for 21 days before Streptococcus pneumoniae infection exhibited prolonged survival time and less body weight loss, compared with saline-treated control mice. Mild pneumonia with significantly reduced secretion of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines according to related mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling molecules (phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase) was found in b240-treated mice, whereas severe pneumonia with hypercytokinemia was evident in control mice. Prominent reduction in the number of pneumococci and elevated expression of Toll-like receptor 2 and 4 in the lung tissues was concomitantly noted in b240-treated mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that b240 has inhibitory effects on pneumococcal pneumonia induced by Strep. pneumoniae infection and improves inflammatory tissue responses, resulting in reduced damages to the respiratory tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that oral administration of b240 might protect host animals from Strep. pneumoniae infection by augmentation of innate immune response.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan  Otsu Nutraceuticals Research Institute, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shiga, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamahira
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kosai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toba
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morinaga
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Izumikawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kakeya
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tashiro
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kohda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kohno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000145:classification; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors