Berberine-containing natural-medicine with boiled peanut-OIT induces sustained peanut-tolerance associated with distinct microbiota signature

• Published in: Frontiers in immunology 2023-07, Vol.14, p.1174907-1174907
• Main Authors: Srivastava, Kamal, Cao, Mingzhuo, Fidan, Ozkan, Shi, Yanmei, Yang, Nan, Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna, Miao, Mingsan, Zhan, Jixun, Sampson, Hugh A, Li, Xiu-Min
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 16S rDNA; berberine; IgE; Immunology; microbiota; oral immunotherapy (OIT) Angelica sinensis; peanut allergy
• ISSN: 1664-3224; 1664-3224
• DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1174907

Gut microbiota influence food allergy. We showed that the natural compound berberine reduces IgE and others reported that BBR alters gut microbiota implying a potential role for microbiota changes in BBR function. We sought to evaluate an oral Berberine-containing natural medicine with a boiled peanut oral immunotherapy (BNP) regimen as a treatment for food allergy using a murine model and to explore the correlation of treatment-induced changes in gut microbiota with therapeutic outcomes. Peanut-allergic (PA) mice, orally sensitized with roasted peanut and cholera toxin, received oral BNP or control treatments. PA mice received periodic post-therapy roasted peanut exposures. Anaphylaxis was assessed by visualization of symptoms and measurement of body temperature. Histamine and serum peanut-specific IgE levels were measured by ELISA. Splenic IgE B cells were assessed by flow cytometry. Fecal pellets were used for sequencing of bacterial 16S rDNA by Illumina MiSeq. Sequencing data were analyzed using built-in analysis platforms. BNP treatment regimen induced long-term tolerance to peanut accompanied by profound and sustained reduction of IgE, symptom scores, plasma histamine, body temperature, and number of IgE B cells ( 0.001 vs Sham for all). Significant differences were observed for / ratio across treatment groups. Bacterial genera positively correlated with post-challenge histamine and PN-IgE included , , and (all ) while . , , and were negatively correlated. BNP is a promising regimen for food allergy treatment and its benefits in a murine model are associated with a distinct microbiota signature.