The Administration of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 Ameliorates Development of DSS-Induced Colitis in Mice

Abstract

The beneficial effects of probiotics on immune-based pathologies such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been well reported. However, their exact mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Few studies have focused on the impact of probiotics on the composition of the colonic microbiota. The aim of the present study was to correlate the intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) in the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) model of mouse colitis with the changes induced in colonic microbiota populations. EcN prevented the DSS-induced colonic damage, as evidenced by lower disease activity index (DAI) values and colonic weight/length ratio, when compared with untreated control mice. The beneficial effects were confirmed biochemically, since the probiotic treatment improved the colonic expression of different cytokines and proteins involved in epithelial integrity. In addition, it restored the expression of different micro-RNAs (miR-143, miR-150, miR-155, miR-223, and miR-375) involved in the inflammatory response that occurs in colitic mice. Finally, the characterization of the colonic microbiota by pyrosequencing showed that the probiotic administration was able to counteract the dysbiosis associated with the intestinal inflammatory process. This effect was evidenced by an increase in bacterial diversity in comparison with untreated colitic mice. The intestinal anti-inflammatory effects of the probiotic EcN were associated with an amelioration of the altered gut microbiome in mouse experimental colitis, especially when considering bacterial diversity, which is reduced in these intestinal conditions. Moreover, this probiotic has shown an ability to modulate expression levels of miRNAs and different mediators of the immune response involved in gut inflammation. This modulation could also be of great interest to understand the mechanism of action of this probiotic in the treatment of IBD.

Probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917-derived outer membrane vesicles enhance immunomodulation and antimicrobial activity in RAW264.7 macrophages

“…EcN is one of the most widely used probiotics for the treatment of intestinal disorders. Numerous studies have confirmed the therapeutic efficacy of EcN both in murine models of experimental colitis and human IBD [9,28,29]. Among the mechanisms by which EcN exerts the beneficial effects, immunomodulation is recognized as a key contributor [30].…”

Cyclic nigerosylnigerose ameliorates DSS-induced colitis with restoration of goblet cell number and increase in IgA reactivity against gut microbiota in mice

“…Changes in the composition of gut microbiota have been linked to the pathogenesis of IBD [ 33 ]. Three ecological parameters, Chao richness, Pielou evenness, and Shannon diversity, were reduced in mice with DSS-induced colitis and in IBD patients [ 33 , 34 ]. In this study, although these parameters seemed to be reduced by DSS treatment, which was consistent with previous studies, DSS-induced changes in these parameters were not restored by CNN treatment.…”

Commensal Escherichia coli Strains Can Promote Intestinal Inflammation via Differential Interleukin-6 Production

“…Further supporting the idea that the pathobiont phenotype may arise on multiple occasions are findings from others who report both context-dependent and strain-specific differences in the ability of E. coli isolates to either protect against or cause disease. Oral administration of the putative probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 is documented to be protective during DSS-induced colitis ( 40 , 41 ). However, Nissle 1917 and E. coli K12 (a lab-adapted strain) both exacerbated intestinal inflammation and translocated to systemic organs in gnotobiotic C57BL/6j mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii ( 42 ).…”