A combination of lactic acid bacteria regulates Escherichia coli infection and inflammation of the bovine endometrium

Abstract

Uterine function in cattle is compromised by bacterial contamination and inflammation after calving. The objective of this study was to select a combination of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to decrease endometrium inflammation and Escherichia coli infection. Primary endometrial epithelial cells were cultured in vitro to select the most favorable LAB combination modulating basal tissue inflammation and E. coli infection. Supernatants were obtained to determine expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and E. coli infection was evaluated after harvesting the tissue and plate counting. The selected LAB combination was tested in uterus explants to assess its capacity to modulate basal and acute inflammation (associated with E. coli infection). The combination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Pediococcus acidilactici, and Lactobacillus reuteri at a ratio of 25:25:2, respectively, reduced E. coli infection in vitro with (89.77%) or without basal tissue inflammation (95.10%) compared with single LAB strains. Lactic acid bacteria treatment reduced CXCL8 and IL1B expression 4.7- and 2.2-fold, respectively, under acute inflammation. Ex vivo, the tested LAB combination reduced acute inflammation under E. coli infection, decreasing IL-8, IL-1β, and IL-6 up to 2.2-, 2.5-, and 2.2-fold, respectively. In the total inflammation model, the LAB combination decreased IL-8 1.6-fold and IL-6 1.2-fold. Ultrastructural evaluation of the tissue suggested no direct interaction between the LAB and E. coli, although pathological effects of E. coli in endometrial cells were greatly diminished or even reversed by the LAB combination. This study shows the promising potential of LAB probiotics for therapeutic use against endometrial inflammation and infection.

Influence of intrauterine administration of Lactobacillus buchneri on reproductive performance and pro-inflammatory endometrial mRNA expression of cows with subclinical endometritis

“…The immunostimulatory effects for lactobacilli were also observed in earlier studies 19 , 56 , 57 and the present study also suggests that lactobacilli are supportive for the containment of these pathogenic bacteria. It was also shown that a distinct lactobacilli strain alone or in combination with other reduced an E. coli infection and affected the pro-inflammatory reaction in bovine endometrial cells in vitro 58 , 59 .…”

Use of Probiotics in Intravaginal Sponges in Sheep: A Pilot Study

“…Similar to fecal microbiota transplantation, vaginal microbiota transplantation is used to restore the mucosal microbiota imbalance by re-establishing beneficial vaginal microbial communities [15]. In dairy cows, it has been observed that the use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) confers a health benefit to the reproductive tract against bacterial infections [16][17][18][19]. Little is known about the presence of LAB in ovine vaginal tract [20] and there is a lack of research regarding the utilization of probiotics during synchronization protocols to improve reproductive performance.…”

Antynowotworowe właściwości probiotycznych bakterii jogurtowych

“…kwas mlekowy, kwas octowy, etanol oraz reuterycyklinę. Wykazano, iż L. reuteri stanowi obiecującą broń w przeciwdziałaniu infekcjom wywołanym przez H. pylori, E.coli, C. difficile oraz bakterie z rodzaju Salmonella [39][40][41][42]. H. pylori jest patogenem związanym bezpośrednio z rozwojem nowotworu żołądka, E. coli związana jest pośrednio z rozwojem nowotworu jelita grubego [43], nowotworem przełyku [44] i wątroby [45].…”