Effects of a multispecies synbiotic on intestinal mucosa immune responses

Background and Objectives: Probiotics and prebiotics are known to regulate immune responses. A synbiotic is a product that combines probiotics and prebiotics in a single dosage form. In this study, we attempt to present the effects of a multispe- cies synbiotic on intestinal mucosa immune responses after exposure to Escherichia coli O55:B5 lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Materials and Methods: Totally 21 male Balb/c mice were randomly classified into two groups. The K-I group received LPS and a synbiotic, and the K-II group received LPS alone. The synbiotic was administered for 21 consecutive days, where- as LPS was administered once on the 15^th day. Specifically, a synbiotic containing 1 × 10⁹ colony forming units (CFUs) of the probiotic combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus PXN 35, L. casei subsp. casei PXN 37, L. rhamnosus PXN 54, L. bul- garicus PXN 39, Bifidobacterium breve PXN 25, B. infantis PXN 27 and Streptococcus thermophilus PXN 66 and the prebi- otic fructo-oligosaccharide was administered through an orogastric tube. Immunohistochemistry was performed to measure immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels for humoral immune responses and CD4+ and CD8+ levels for cellular immune responses. Results: An independent-samples t-test revealed significant increases of the numbers of IgA- (p = 0.027) and CD4-express- ing cells (p = 0.009) but not the number of CD8-expressing cells in the K-I group compared with those in the K-II group. Conclusion: The multispecies synbiotic had immunoregulatory effects on IgA and CD4 expression in LPS-exposed mice.