title: Orally administered heat-killed Lactobacillus gasseri  TMC0356 can upregulate cell-mediated immunity in senescence-accelerated mice.
abstract: The present study was conducted to test the ability of probiotic lactobacilli to alter age-related immunosenescence in host animals. Senescence-accelerated mouse prone 1 mice were orally fed heat-killed Lactobacillus gasseri TMC0356 (TMC0356) for 4 and 8 weeks at dosages of 10 mg day(-1)  after a 16-week period of prefeeding with a standard diet. After 4 and 8 weeks of TMC0356 intervention, splenic activation of natural killer (NK) cells and mRNA expression of cytokines and other immune molecules in the lungs were analysed. After 4 and 8 weeks, splenic NK cell activities were significantly higher in the TMC0356-fed mice compared with control mice (P < 0.05). After 4 weeks, mRNA expression of interleukin-2 and interferon-(α and β) receptor 1 in lung cells isolated from the TMC0356-fed mice also increased significantly compared with that in lung cells from the control mice (P < 0.05). These results suggest that lactobacilli, especially certain selected strains, might enhance cell-mediated immunity in host animals and thereby alter age-related immunosenescence.
authors.affiliation: Technical Research Laboratory, Takanashi Milk Products Co., Ltd., Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazawa
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Kazutoyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoda
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiramatsu
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000276:immunology*; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors