ABSTRACT
Influenza is an important zoonotic disease that persistently threatens global public health. While it is widely acknowledged that probiotics can modulate the host response to protect the host against infectious disease, the prophylactic efficacy on respiratory viral infection and the detailed mechanism remains elusive. Lactobacillus, the most commonly used probiotic widely applied in food production, has garnered significant attention. In our study utilizing both C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse models, we explored the protective effect against two strains of influenza virus, A/Mink/China/01/2014(H9N2) and A/California/04/2009(H1N1), through the administration of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain 16 (L. plantarum 16) and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strain P118 (L. rhamnosus P118), aiming to identify robust probiotic strains with antiviral properties. Our findings indicate that administering L. plantarum 16 or L. rhamnosus P118 alone does not provide sufficient protection against influenza. However, the co-administration of L. plantarum 16 and L. rhamnosus P118 dramatically reduces viral titers in the respiratory tract and lung, thereby markedly alleviating the clinical symptoms, improving prognosis, and reducing mortality. The mechanisms underlying this effect involve the modulation of host gut microbiota and metabolism through the co-administration of L. plantarum 16 and L. rhamnosus P118, resulting in enrichment of Firmicutes and enhancement of phenylalanine-related metabolism, ultimately leading to an augmentation of the antiviral immune response. Notably, we identified that the circulating metabolic molecule 2-Hydroxycinnamic acid plays a significant role in combating influenza. Our data suggest the potential utility of L. plantarum 16 and L. rhamnosus P118 two-bacterium or 2-Hydroxycinnamic acid in preventing influenza.IMPORTANCEVaccination represents the most optimal strategy to control influenza. Nevertheless, influenza viruses constantly evolve due to antigenic drift and shift, leading to the need for regular updates on influenza vaccines. Additionally, vaccination failure poses significant challenges to influenza prevention. Therefore, it is essential and beneficial to identify novel or universal antiviral measures to protect against influenza. While cumulative data suggest that probiotics offer protection against infectious diseases, the specific mechanisms, such as the effective metabolites or components, remain largely unknown. Our research discovered the capacity of combinational two-bacterium Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 16 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus P118 to fight against influenza infection in a mouse model. The protection may occur through modulating the host's gut microbiota and metabolism, further influencing the host's antiviral immune response. Notably, we have identified a novel metabolic molecule, 2-Hydroxycinnamic acid, capable of enhancing antiviral response and restricting viral replication in vivo.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of crude extract of Capparis spinosa L. fruit alka-loids (CSFA) on the maturation of murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs). Methods CSFA was prepared and the contents were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. DCs were trea-ted with different doses (1, 2, 3 mg/ml) of CSFA. The viability of DCs, the expression of surface mole-cules and the ability of phagocytosis were detected by flow cytometry. The secretion of cytokines was meas-ured by ELISA. Western blot assay was performed to analyze the activation of key molecules in mitogen-acti-vated protein kinases ( MAPK) and nuclear factor-kappa B ( NF-κB) signaling pathways. Results The re-sults showed that CSFA alone had no significant influence on the expression of surface molecules and cyto-kines in DCs. However, it significantly decreased the expression of CD40, CD80, CD86 and MHC Ⅱ as well as the secretion of IL-12p40 and TNF-αthat were induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS), but increased IL-10 secretion and the ability of phagocytosis after treating DCs with both CSFA and LPS. Further, the phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and the nuclear translocation of NF-κBp65 induced by LPS were inhibited by CSFA. Conclusion CSFA could inhibit the maturation of DCs and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS while in-creasing the secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and the ability of phagocytosis, which might in-volve MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. This study suggests that CSFA could be used as a potential im-munosuppressant.
ABSTRACT
Capparis spinosa L. (C. spinosa) has been used as food and traditional medicine and shows anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. Here, we prepared the C. spinosa fruit ethanol extracts (CSEs) using different procedures and investigated the effects of CSE on the maturation of mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) in the absence or presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). DC maturation and cytokine production were detected by flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively. We obtained three different CSEs and dissolved in water or DMSO, named CSE2W, CSEMW, CSE3W, CSE2D, CSEMD, and CSE3D, respectively. These CSEs showed different effects on DC maturation. CSEMW and CSEMD significantly increased the expressions of CD40, CD80, and CD86, in a dose-dependent manner. CSE2W and CSE2D also showed a modest effect on DC maturation, which enhanced the expression of CD40. CSE3W and CSE3D did not change DC maturation but suppressed LPS-induced DC maturation characterized by the decreased levels of CD40 and CD80. CSE3W and CSE3D also significantly inhibited the secretions of IL-12p40, IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α induced by LPS. CSE3W further increased the level of IL-10 induced by LPS. Moreover, CSE3D suppressed LPS-induced DC maturation in vivo, which decreased the expressions of CD40 and CD80. These results suggested that CSE3W and CSE3D might be used to treat inflammatory diseases.