Influence of oral application of Enterococcus faecium AL41 on TGF-β4 and IL-17 expression and immunocompetent cell distribution in chickens challenged with Campylobacter jejuni.

Alica Letnická,Róbert Herich,Viera Revajová,Viera Karaffová,Mikuláš Levkut

doi:10.1556/004.2017.031

Abstract

Campylobacteriosis is mainly caused by infection with Campylobacter jejuni following consumption or handling of Campylobacter-contaminated poultry meat. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of probiotic Enterococcus faecium AL41 on TGF-β4 and IL-17 expression and on immunocompetent cell distribution after C. jejuni infection in broiler chicken, as a second part of the previous study of Karaffová et al. (2017). Accordingly, day-old chicks were randomly divided into four experimental groups of 10 chicks each (n = 10): control (C), E. faecium AL41 (EFAL41), C. jejuni CCM6191 (CJ), and combined E. faecium AL41 + C. jejuni CCM6191 (EFAL41 + CJ). Samples from the caecum were collected on days 4 and 7 post Campylobacter infection (dpi), for the isolation of mRNA of TGF-β4, IL-17 and for immunohistochemistry. The relative mRNA expression of TGF-β4 was upregulated in the combined (EFAL41 + CJ) group compared to other groups during both samplings, but the expression of IL-17 was downregulated. Similarly, the highest density of CD3+ was detected in the combined group at 7 dpi, but the number of IgA+ cells was increased in both groups with EFAL41. It was concluded that the EFAL41 probiotic E. faecium strain can modulate the expression of selected cytokines (upregulation of TGF-β4 but downregulation of IL-17 relative expression), and activate IgA-producing cells in the caeca of chicks infected with C. jejuni CCM6191.

Highlights

Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common causes of acute enteritis in the developed world and can colonise the intestinal mucosa of most warm
At 7 dpi the relative mRNA expression of TGF-β4 was upregulated in the combined group E. faecium AL41 (EFAL41) + CJ compared to the other groups (P < 0.001) (Fig. 1)
The relative mRNA expression of IL-17 was upregulated in Group CJ compared to Groups EFAL41 and EFAL41 + CJ (P < 0.05) at 4 dpi

Summary

Introduction

Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common causes of acute enteritis in the developed world and can colonise the intestinal mucosa of most warm-. Probiotics are likely to have an impact through the gut mucosa by balancing the local microbiota by inhibiting the growth of pathogenic microorganisms (Servin, 2004) and by enhancing local and systemic immune responses (Bodera and Chcialowski, 2009). Enterococcus faecium AL41 is an Enterocin M-producing, probiotic strain which has previously shown beneficial effects on the immune response in broiler chicken (Karaffová et al, 2015; Lauková et al, 2015)

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