Immunostimulatory effect of faecal Bifidobacterium species of breast-fed and formula-fed infants in a peripheral blood mononuclear cell/Caco-2 co-culture system

• Published in: British journal of nutrition 2011-10, Vol.106 (8), p.1216-1223
• Main Authors: Pozo-Rubio, T., Mujico, J. R., Marcos, A., Puertollano, E., Nadal, I., Sanz, Y., Nova, E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Babies; Bifidobacterium - immunology; Bifidobacterium adolescentis; Biological and medical sciences; Breast Feeding; Breastfeeding & lactation; Caco-2 Cells; coculture; Coculture Techniques; Cytokines; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Feces; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; human cell lines; Humans; immune response; Immunization - methods; Immunology; in vitro studies; Infant; Infant Formula; infant formulas; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - immunology; Infants; interferon-gamma; interleukin-10; interleukin-8; intestinal microorganisms; intestinal mucosa; Intestinal Mucosa - immunology; Intestinal Mucosa - microbiology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Metagenome; mononuclear leukocytes; Nutrition research; Nutritional Immunology; Probiotics - administration & dosage; Species composition; species diversity; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511001656

Bifidobacterium spp. typical of the human intestinal microbiota are believed to influence the balance of immune responses in the intestinal mucosa. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of different bifidobacterial species and their mixtures in in vitro experiments with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and Caco-2 cells. Bifidobacterium adolescentis, B. angulatum, B. breve, B. catenulatum, B. infantis, B. longum and two combinations of these bifidobacteria simulating the species composition found in faecal samples from breast-fed (BF) and formula-fed (FF) infants were used. The levels of several cytokines were measured by direct stimulation of PBMC and by stimulation of a Caco-2/PBMC co-culture with bifidobacteria. B. catenulatum and B. breve were the strongest enhancers of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production by direct stimulation of PBMC. B. longum was the highest inducer of IL-10 and the lowest TNF-α stimulus. In the Caco-2/PBMC system, B. breve was the highest inducer of IL-8 production by Caco-2 cells, significantly different from B. infantis, B. adolescentis and the FF mixture (P