Upregulation Of Innate Immune Responses Research Articles

Characterization of three African swine fever viruses from different clinical settings revealed a potential attenuation mechanism

African swine fever (ASF) is an acute and fatal hemorrhagic disease in domestic pigs and wild boars caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV) that currently threatens the pig industry worldwide. Since the 2018 ASF outbreak in China, ASFV has evolved and caused diverse clinical manifestations, such as chronic and asymptomatic infections. Therefore, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying ASFV attenuation in the field. Here, we isolated three ASFVs from one diseased and two asymptomatic pigs by using primary porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) from both domestic pigs and Bama minipigs. The three ASFVs exhibited similar phenotypes in cell culture, including cytopathic effects (CPEs), hemadsorptions (HADs), viral protein expressions and growth curves. Genome sequencing revealed that all three ASFVs were genotype II strains. Genomic comparisons suggested that the disruption of the viral genes MGF360 and MGF110, rather than EP402R and EP153R, is likely involved in the potential attenuation of ASFV via the upregulation of innate immune responses.

Multifactoral immune modulation potentiates durable remission in multiple models of aggressive malignancy.

Tumors typically lack canonical danger signals required to activate adaptive immunity and also frequently employ substantial immunomodulatory mechanisms that downregulate adaptive responses and contribute to escape from immune surveillance. Given the variety of mechanisms involved in shielding tumors from immune recognition, it is not surprising that single-agent immunomodulatory approaches have been largely unsuccessful in generating durable antitumor responses. Here we report a unique combination of immunomodulatory and cytostatic agents that recondition the tumor microenvironment and eliminate complex and/or poor-prognosis tumor types including the non-immunogenic 4T-1 model of TNBC, the aggressive MOC-2 model of HNSCC, and the high-risk MYCN-amplified model of neuroblastoma. A course of therapy optimized for TNBC cured a majority of tumors in both ectopic and orthotopic settings and eliminated metastatic spread in all animals tested at the highest doses. Immune responses were transferable between therapeutic donor and naïve recipient through adoptive transfer, and a sizeable abscopal effect on distant, untreated lesions could be demonstrated experimentally. Similar results were observed in HNSCC and neuroblastoma models, with characteristic remodeling of the tumor microenvironment documented in all model systems. scRNA-seq analysis implicated upregulation of innate immune responses and antigen presentation in tumor cells and the myeloid cell compartment as critical early events. This analysis also highlighted the potential importance of the autonomic nervous system in the governance of inflammatory processes. The data indicate that the targeting of multiple pathways and mechanisms of action can result in substantial synergistic antitumor effects and suggest follow-up in the neoadjuvant setting may be warranted.

H7N9 influenza A virus activation of necroptosis in human monocytes links innate and adaptive immune responses

We previously demonstrated that avian influenza A H7N9 virus preferentially infected CD14+ monocyte in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which led to apoptosis. To better understand H7N9 pathogenesis in relation to monocyte cell death, we showed here that extensive phosphorylation of mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) protein occurred concurrently with the activation of caspases-8, -9 and -3 in H7N9-infected monocytes at 6 h post infection (hpi), indicating that apoptosis and necroptosis pathways were simultaneously activated. The apoptotic morphology was readily observed in H7N9-infected monocytes with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while the pan-caspase inhibitor, IDN6556 (IDN), accelerated cell death through necroptosis as evidenced by the increased level of pMLKL accompanied with cell swelling and plasma membrane rupture. Most importantly, H7N9-induced cell death could only be stopped by the combined treatment of IDN and necrosulfonamide (NSA), a pMLKL membrane translocation inhibitor, but not by individual inhibition of caspase or RIPK3. Our data further showed that activation of apoptosis and necroptosis pathways in monocytes differentially contributed to the immune response of monocytes upon H7N9 infection. Specifically, caspase inhibition significantly enhanced, while RIPK3 inhibition reduced the early expression of type I interferons and cytokine/chemokines in H7N9-infected monocytes. Moreover, culture supernatants from IDN-treated H7N9-infected monocyte promoted the expression of co-stimulatory molecule CD80, CD83 and CD86 on freshly isolated monocytes and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDCs) and enhanced the capacity of MDCs to induce CD3+ T-cell proliferation in vitro. In contrast, these immune stimulatory effects were abrogated by using culture supernatants from H7N9-infected monocyte with RIPK3 inhibition. In conclusion, our findings indicated that H7N9 infection activated both apoptosis and necroptosis in monocytes. An intact RIPK3 activity is required for upregulation of innate immune responses, while caspase activation suppresses the immune response.

Insect anionic septapeptides suppress DENV replication by activating antiviral cytokines and miRNAs in primary human monocytes

Dengue viruses (DENVs) have threatened 2/3 of the world population for decades. Thus, combating DENV infection with either antiviral therapy or protective vaccination is an urgent goal. In the present study, we investigated the anti-DENV activity of insect cell-derived anionic septapeptides from C6/36 mosquito cell cultures persistently infected with DENV. These molecules were previously shown to protect C6/36 and Vero cells against DENV infection. We found that treatment with these septapeptides strongly and rapidly downregulated the multiplication of DENV-1 16007, DENV-3 16562, and DENV-4 1036 but not that of DENV-2 16681 in primary human monocytes. This inhibitory effect was likely mediated through various routes including the increased production of antiviral cytokines (IFN–I), activation of mononuclear cell migration, and upregulation of the expression of antiviral miRNAs (has-miR-30e*, has-miR-133a, and has-miR-223) and inflammation-related miRNAs (has-miR-146a and has-miR-147). In conclusion, anionic septapeptides exerted anti-DENV activity in human monocytes through the upregulation of innate immune responses and the activation of several previously reported antiviral and inflammation-related miRNAs.

RiboTag translatomic profiling of Drosophila oenocytes under aging and induced oxidative stress

BackgroundAging is accompanied with loss of tissue homeostasis and accumulation of cellular damages. As one of the important metabolic centers, liver shows age-related dysregulation of lipid metabolism, impaired detoxification pathway, increased inflammation and oxidative stress response. However, the mechanisms for these age-related changes still remain unclear. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, liver-like functions are controlled by two distinct tissues, fat body and oenocytes. Compared to fat body, little is known about how oenocytes age and what are their roles in aging regulation. To characterize age- and stress-regulated gene expression in oenocytes, we performed cell-type-specific ribosome profiling (RiboTag) to examine the impacts of aging and oxidative stress on oenocyte translatome in Drosophila.ResultsWe show that aging and oxidant paraquat significantly increased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in adult oenocytes of Drosophila, and aged oenocytes exhibited reduced sensitivity to paraquat treatment. Through RiboTag sequencing, we identified 3324 and 949 differentially expressed genes in oenocytes under aging and paraquat treatment, respectively. Aging and paraquat exhibit both shared and distinct regulations on oenocyte translatome. Among all age-regulated genes, oxidative phosphorylation, ribosome, proteasome, fatty acid metabolism, and cytochrome P450 pathways were down-regulated, whereas DNA replication and immune response pathways were up-regulated. In addition, most of the peroxisomal genes were down-regulated in aged oenocytes, including genes involved in peroxisomal biogenesis factors and fatty acid beta-oxidation. Many age-related mRNA translational changes in oenocytes are similar to aged mammalian liver, such as up-regulation of innate immune response and Ras/MAPK signaling pathway and down-regulation of peroxisome and fatty acid metabolism. Furthermore, oenocytes highly expressed genes involving in liver-like processes (e.g., ketogenesis).ConclusionsOur oenocyte-specific translatome analysis identified many genes and pathways that are shared between Drosophila oenocytes and mammalian liver, highlighting the molecular and functional similarities between the two tissues. Many of these genes were altered in both oenocytes and liver during aging. Thus, our translatome analysis provide important genomic resource for future dissection of oenocyte function and its role in lipid metabolism, stress response and aging regulation.

Falling in love is associated with immune system gene regulation

Although falling in love is one of the most important and psychologically potent events in human life, the somatic implications of new romantic love remain poorly understood. Psychological, immunological, and reproductive perspectives offer competing predictions of the specific transcriptional regulatory shifts that might accompany the experience of falling in love. To characterize the impact of romantic love on human genome function, we conducted genome-wide transcriptome profiling of 115 circulating immune cell samples collected from 47 young women over the course of a 2-year longitudinal study. Analyses revealed a selective alteration in immune cell gene regulation characterized by up-regulation of Type I interferon response genes associated with CD1C+/BDCA-1+ dendritic cells (DCs) and CLEC4C+/BDCA-2+ DCs, and a reciprocal down-regulation of α-defensin-related transcripts associated with neutrophil granulocytes. These effects emerged above and beyond the effects of changes in illness, perceived social isolation, and sexual contact. These findings are consistent with a selective up-regulation of innate immune responses to viral infections (e.g., Type I interferons and DC) and with DC facilitation of sexual reproduction, and provide insight into the immunoregulatory correlates of one of the keystone experiences in human life.

Toll-like receptors signaling network in pre-eclampsia: An updated review.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are innate immune cells receptors. They are expressed on leukocytes, epithelial cells, and more particularly on placental immune cells and chorion trophoblast. Upregulation of innate immune response occurs during normal pregnancy, but its excessive activity is involved in the pathology of pregnancy complications including pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia (PE). The recent studies about the overmuch inflammatory responses and aberrant placentation are associated with increased expression of TLRs in PE patients. This review has tried to focus on the relationship between some activities of TLRs and the risk of preeclampsia development.

Human Gene Expression in Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria.

To examine human gene expression during uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria, we obtained three samples (acute illness, treatment, and recovery) from 10 subjects and utilized each subject's recovery sample as their baseline. At the time of acute illness (day 1), subjects had upregulation of innate immune response, cytokine, and inflammation-related genes (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF, and IFN-γ), which was more frequent with parasitemias >100,000 per μL and body temperatures ≥39°C. Apoptosis-related genes (Fas, BAX, and TP53) were upregulated acutely and for several days thereafter (days 1–3). In contrast, the expression of immune-modulatory (transcription factor 7, HLV-DOA, and CD6) and apoptosis inhibitory (c-myc, caspase 8, and Fas Ligand G) genes was downregulated initially and returned to normal with clinical recovery (days 7–10). These results indicate that the innate immune response, cytokine, and apoptosis pathways are upregulated acutely in uncomplicated malaria with concomitant downregulation of immune-modulatory and apoptosis inhibitory genes.

Loss of mDia1 Mediates the Development of Del(5q) MDS through Upregulation of the Innate Immune Response and Induction of Neutropenia

mDia1, the diaphanous homolog 1 of Drosophila in mouse, is a formin protein involving in the linear actin polymerization. Recently, our group reported that patients with del(5q) myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) showed a significantly decreased mDia1 expression. Mice with mDia1 deficiency developed age related hematologic features mimicking human MDS. In these mice, CD14 is aberrantly overexpressed on granulocytes, which sensitized the innate immune response upon the lipopolysaccharide(LPS) injection. Importantly, chronic LPS injection accelerated the development of MDS (Keerthivasan et al Blood 2014). Here we report that 1) the mDia1 knockout (KO) mice also have a hypersensitive innate immune response to damage-associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs), which can be partially blocked by CD14/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) signaling pathway inhibitors. This is significant since release of DAMPs from necrotic or senescent cells is a common age-related phenomenon. DAMPs are also detected in cancers including MDS. Thus our study may shed lights on how the deregulated innate immune responses get involved in the pathogenesis of MDS in a more pathophysiologically relevant etiology. 2) mDia1 KO mice have an increased Gr1/Mac1 expression on the granulocytes in peripheral blood. We demonstrate that the expression levels of Gr1/Mac1 were not changed in bone marrow granulocytes, suggesting a specific up-regulation of Gr1/Mac1 levels on circulating granulocytes in mDia1 knockout mice. Mac-1, as the predominant β2 integrin on granulocytes, plays key roles in the adhesion of leukocytes to the endothelium, and regulates the cell adhesion, migration, and chemotaxis. In this respect, the mDia1 knockout mice develop serve neutropenia, which could be due to the upregulation of Gr1/Mac1 and increased binding of the cells to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Finally, we revealed the mechanism of Gr1/Mac1 upregulation by showing that loss of mDia1 significantly affected the endocytosis of Gr1 and Mac1 on granulocytes, however, the mRNA levels of Gr1 and Mac1 were not affected. Taken together, these studies reveal a significance of loss of mDia1 in the pathogenesis of del(5q) MDS through upregulation of innate immune response and accelerated granulocyte clearance. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Upregulation of innate immune responses in a T cell/histiocyte-rich large B cell lymphoma patient with significant autoimmune disorders mimicking systemic lupus erythematosus

Upregulation of innate immune responses in a T cell/histiocyte-rich large B cell lymphoma patient with significant autoimmune disorders mimicking systemic lupus erythematosus

The up-regulation of innate immune response can be observed by expression of TLR3, TLR4 and TLR9 by antigen-presenting cells in EAE model

Event Abstract Back to Event The up-regulation of innate immune response can be observed by expression of TLR3, TLR4 and TLR9 by antigen-presenting cells in EAE model Marcilene G. Evangelista1, Sandra B. Castro1, Alyria T. Dias1, Caio Cesar Souza Alves1*, Maria A. Juliano2 and Ana Paula Ferreira1 1 Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Parasitologia, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Brazil 2 Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Biofisica, Brazil Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system. EAE is a model for the study of MS. The objective of this study was evaluating the innate immune response including Toll-like receptors in EAE model development. The EAE mice were immunized with MOG35–55, emulsified v/v in complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) supplemented with 400μg of attenuated Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Pertussis toxin 300ng/animal was injected intraperitoneally on the day of immunization and 48h later. The MOG negative group only received supplemented CFA and Pertussis toxin. The animals were euthanized at 2nd, 4th and 7th days post-immunization. The spinal cords were removed and analyzed. Only EAE group developed clinical signs. In comparison to the MOG negative group the level of CCL5 and CCL20 in homogenized spinal cord was higher in the EAE group at 4th (1,983.0±237.2 vs. 1,245.0±110.5 and 4,546.0±569.8 vs. 1,992.0±343.0) and 7th (1,459.0±97.3 vs. 717.6±110.0 and 3,262.0±331.4 vs. 1,762.0±259.6) days post-immunization. The levels of IL-10 (8,828.0±1,652.0 vs. 2,063.0±447.4) and TGF-β (128,139.0±55,265.0 vs. 14,311.0±5,461.0) were also higher in EAE group, which showed higher number of antigen-presenting cells expressing TLR3 (34,131.0±3,068.0 vs. 6,620.0±316.8), TLR4 (29,466.0±1,864.0 vs. 6,650.0±589.3) and TLR9 (104,346.0±4,407.0 vs. 21,626.0±1,434.0). The presence of MOG increases the release of chemokine in the spinal cord and up-regulation of TLRs expression by APC. Studies seeking the understanding of EAE may be important for the development of agents that modulate innate immune responses as signaling pathways TLRs may be effective in treating EAE and MS. Financial support: CAPES, CNPq, FAPEMIG. Keywords: EAE/MS, Toll-Like Receptors, APCs, innate immunity, IL-10, TGF-beta Conference: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Milan, Italy, 22 Aug - 27 Aug, 2013. Presentation Type: Abstract Topic: Immune-mediated disease pathogenesis Citation: Evangelista MG, Castro SB, Dias AT, Souza Alves C, Juliano MA and Ferreira A (2013). The up-regulation of innate immune response can be observed by expression of TLR3, TLR4 and TLR9 by antigen-presenting cells in EAE model. Front. Immunol. Conference Abstract: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fimmu.2013.02.00008 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 08 Mar 2013; Published Online: 22 Aug 2013. * Correspondence: Dr. Caio Cesar Souza Alves, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Parasitologia, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, 36036900, Brazil, caiocsa@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Marcilene G Evangelista Sandra B Castro Alyria T Dias Caio Cesar Souza Alves Maria A Juliano Ana Paula Ferreira Google Marcilene G Evangelista Sandra B Castro Alyria T Dias Caio Cesar Souza Alves Maria A Juliano Ana Paula Ferreira Google Scholar Marcilene G Evangelista Sandra B Castro Alyria T Dias Caio Cesar Souza Alves Maria A Juliano Ana Paula Ferreira PubMed Marcilene G Evangelista Sandra B Castro Alyria T Dias Caio Cesar Souza Alves Maria A Juliano Ana Paula Ferreira Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Prevention of Virus-Induced Type 1 Diabetes with Antibiotic Therapy

Microbes were hypothesized to play a key role in the progression of type 1 diabetes (T1D). We used the LEW1.WR1 rat model of Kilham rat virus (KRV)-induced T1D to test the hypothesis that the intestinal microbiota is involved in the mechanism leading to islet destruction. Treating LEW1.WR1 rats with KRV and a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Sulfatrim) beginning on the day of infection protected the rats from insulitis and T1D. Pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA and quantitative RT-PCR indicated that KRV infection resulted in a transient increase in the abundance of Bifidobacterium spp. and Clostridium spp. in fecal samples from day 5- but not day 12-infected versus uninfected animals. Similar alterations in the gut microbiome were observed in the jejunum of infected animals on day 5. Treatment with Sulfatrim restored the level of intestinal Bifidobacterium spp. and Clostridium spp. We also observed that virus infection induced the expression of KRV transcripts and the rapid upregulation of innate immune responses in Peyer's patches and pancreatic lymph nodes. However, antibiotic therapy reduced the virus-induced inflammation as reflected by the presence of lower amounts of proinflammatory molecules in both the Peyer's patches and pancreatic lymph nodes. Finally, Sulfatrim treatment reduced the number of B cells in Peyer's patches and downmodulated adaptive immune responses to KRV, but did not interfere with antiviral Ab responses or viral clearance from the spleen, pancreatic lymph nodes, and serum. The data suggest that gut microbiota may be involved in promoting virus-induced T1D in the LEW1.WR1 rat model.

Inflammatory Vascular Disease: A Unifying Hypothesis

Research scientists and physicians alike describe many different forms of inflammatory vascular disease, reporting each separate pathological entity in terms of individual causes, symptoms, signs, and physical findings Atherosclerotic plaque, recurrent plaque growth after angioplasty and stent implant, transplant rejection, arthritic disorders, and the inflammatory vasculitic syndromes such as giant cell arteritis or Takayasu’s disease, are all associated with increased inflammatory cell activation and severe arterial disease. Viewing these vasculitic disorders autonomously, as separate entities, leads to a risk of misdiagnosis, longer treatment, increased mortality, and in short limits treatment options. This has significant implications for morbidity and mortality. The very classifications on which we rely prevent us from seeing that inflammatory arterial disorders actually represent a continuum. We propose here that these separate classifications of vascular disease are artificial, that these vascular diseases represent a continuum of inflammatory arterial disorders, rather than separate pathological entities. We postulate that the underlying central cause for a wide spectrum of occlusive arterial diseases is an up-regulation of innate immune responses that drive ongoing arterial damage.

Coordinated Regulation of SIV Replication and Immune Responses in the CNS

Central nervous system (CNS) invasion during acute-stage HIV-infection has been demonstrated in a small number of individuals, but there is no evidence of neurological impairment at this stage and virus infection in brain appears to be controlled until late-stage disease. Using our reproducible SIV macaque model to examine the earliest stages of infection in the CNS, we identified immune responses that differentially regulate inflammation and virus replication in the brain compared to the peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues. SIV replication in brain macrophages and in brain of SIV-infected macaques was detected at 4 days post-inoculation (p.i.). This was accompanied by upregulation of innate immune responses, including IFNβ, IFNβ-induced gene MxA mRNA, and TNFα. Additionally, IL-10, the chemokine CCL2, and activation markers in macrophages, endothelial cells, and astrocytes were all increased in the brain at four days p.i. We observed synchronous control of virus replication, cytokine mRNA levels and inflammatory markers (MHC Class II, CD68 and GFAP) by 14 days p.i.; however, control failure was followed by development of CNS lesions in the brain. SIV infection was accompanied by induction of the dominant-negative isoform of C/EBPβ, which regulates SIV, CCL2, and IL6 transcription, as well as inflammatory responses in macrophages and astrocytes. This synchronous response in the CNS is in part due to the effect of the C/EBPβ on virus replication and cytokine expression in macrophage-lineage cells in contrast to CD4+ lymphocytes in peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues. Thus, we have identified a crucial period in the brain when virus replication and inflammation are controlled. As in HIV-infected individuals, though, this control is not sustained in the brain. Our results suggest that intervention with antiretroviral drugs or anti-inflammatory therapeutics with CNS penetration would sustain early control. These studies further suggest that interventions should target HIV-infected individuals with increased CCL2 levels or HIV RNA in the CNS.

Negative regulation of Caenorhabditis elegans epidermal damage responses by death-associated protein kinase

Wounding of epidermal layers triggers multiple coordinated responses to damage. We show here that the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of the tumor suppressor death-associated protein kinase, dapk-1, acts as a previously undescribed negative regulator of barrier repair and innate immune responses to wounding. Loss of DAPK-1 function results in constitutive formation of scar-like structures in the cuticle, and up-regulation of innate immune responses to damage. Overexpression of DAPK-1 represses innate immune responses to needle wounding. Up-regulation of innate immune responses in dapk-1 requires the TIR-1/p38 signal transduction pathway; loss of function in this pathway synergizes with dapk-1 to drastically reduce adult lifespan. Our results reveal a previously undescribed function for the DAPK tumor suppressor family in regulation of epithelial damage responses.

Probiotic Lactobacillus casei activates innate immunity via NF-κB and p38 MAP kinase signaling pathways

Probiotic bacteria are microorganisms that benefit the host through improvement of the balance of intestinal microflora and possibly by augmentation of host defense systems. We examined the mechanisms for the up-regulation of innate immune responses by a probiotic Lactobacillus casei ATCC27139, in vivo. Using mouse models of systemic Listeria monocytogenes infection and MethA fibrosarcoma tumorigenesis in combination with BALB/c and SCID mice, we found that parenteral administration of L. casei ATCC27139 confers a protective effect against L. monocytogenes infection and anti-tumor activity against MethA fibrosarcoma by activation of innate immunity, while L. casei ATCC27139-J1R strains, which are J1 phage-resistant strains that have been selected from MNNG-treated clones, lacked these activities. Substantial differences between ATCC27139 and ATCC27139-J1R strains were observed in the capacity to induce innate cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-12, IL-18, and IFN-γ, and pathogen-associated molecular pattern receptors, TLR2 and Nod2, by spleen cells. In addition, although phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 in spleen was equally enhanced in the ATCC27139- and the ATCC27139-J1R-treated groups, phosphorylation of both p38 MAPK and MAPKAPK-2 was significantly induced only by ATCC27139. Furthermore, inhibitors of NF-κB (sulfasalazine) and p38 MAPK (SB203580) significantly reduced cytokine production by the spleen cells of the mice treated with L. casei ATCC27139, suggesting that both NF-κB and p38 MAPK signaling pathways play important roles in the augmentation of innate immunity by the probiotic L. casei.