The viability of Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 is not essential to exert intestinal anti-inflammatory properties.

Probiotics have been used as alternative therapies in intestinal inflammatory disorders. Many studies have shown that different bacterial probiotic strains possess immuno-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. However, there is an increasing interest in the use of non-viable bacteria to reduce the risk of microbial translocation and infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the viability of L. fermentum CECT5716 is essential to exert its intestinal anti-inflammatory effect. We compared the preventative effects of viable and non-viable probiotic in the TNBS model of rat colitis. In vitro studies were also performed in Caco-2 and RAW 264.7 cells to evaluate the probiotic effects on IL-8, IL-1ß and nitrite production, and p44/42 and p38 MAP kinase protein expressions. In vitro results revealed a decrease in the stimulated production of pro-inflammatory mediators regardless of the viability of the probiotic. Likewise, both forms of the probiotic administered to colitic rats produced a significant reduction of IL-1ß and TNF-α levels and colonic iNOS expression. In conclusion, both live and dead L. fermentum CECT5716 have been demonstrated to attenuate the inflammatory process and diminish the production of some of the inflammatory mediators. In fact, the viability of this probiotic did not affect its immuno-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties.

Dietary fish oil n-3 fatty acids increase regulatory cytokine production and exert anti-inflammatory effects in two murine models of inflammation.

The higher incidence of inflammatory diseases in Western countries might be related, in part, to a high consumption of saturated fatty acids and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and an insufficient intake of n-3 fatty acids. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of dietary n-3 fatty acids on innate and specific immune response and their anti-inflammatory action in models of contact and atopic dermatitis. Balb/C mice were fed for 3 wk either n-6 or n-3 PUFA-fortified diets. After inducing a contact or an atopic dermatitis, immunological parameters were analyzed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of these n-3 PUFA. n-3 PUFA reduced innate and specific immune responses through inhibition of TH1 and TH2 responses, increase of immunomodulatory cytokines such as IL-10, and regulation of gene expression. The inhibition of both kinds of responses was confirmed by the anti-inflammatory effect observed in contact and atopic dermatitis. Reduction in weight, edema, thickness, leukocyte infiltration, and enhancement of antioxidant defenses in the inflamed ears of mice from both models along with the prevention of delayed-type hypersensitivity induced in atopic dermatitis proved n-3 PUFA efficacy. Our data suggest that dietary fish oil-derived n-3 fatty acids have immunomodulatory effects and could be useful in inflammatory disorders.

Dietary olive oil supplemented with fish oil, rich in EPA and DHA (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids, attenuates colonic inflammation in rats with DSS-induced colitis.

Previous studies proposed a protective role of the dietary intake of (n-3) PUFA in human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but almost no studies have been performed using olive oil. The aims of the present study were to test the beneficial effects of an olive oil-based diet with or without fish oil, rich in (n-3) PUFA, in the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) model of rat colitis and to elucidate the mechanisms involved in their potential beneficial effects, with special attention to the production of some of the mediators involved in the intestinal inflammatory response, such as leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and nitric oxide (NO). Rats were fed the different diets for 2 wk before colitis induction and thereafter until colonic evaluation 15 d later. Colitic rats fed the olive oil-based diet had a lower colonic inflammatory response than those fed the soybean oil diet, and this beneficial effect was increased by the dietary incorporation of (n-3) PUFA. A restoration of colonic glutathione levels and lower colonic NO synthase expression occurred in all colitic rats fed an olive oil diet compared with the control colitic group that consumed the soybean oil diet. However, (n-3) PUFA incorporation into an olive oil diet significantly decreased colonic TNFalpha and LTB(4) levels compared with colitic rats that were not supplemented with fish oil. These results affirm the benefits of an olive oil diet in the management of IBD, which are further enhanced by the addition of (n-3) PUFA.