Effect of Lactobacillus casei CRL 431 and its fermented milk on the intestinal and systemic immune response in an experimental model of obesity in BALB/c mouse

Abstract

Obesity is a chronic inflammatory state with adipose tissue hypertrophy. We evaluated the effect of L. casei CRL431 (Lc) and its fermented milk (FM) in an experimental model of obesity. Mice received standard diet (G1) or high fat diet (G2) and were supplemented with milk, FM, Lc or water during two months. Liver steatosis observed in mice from G2 that received water or milk was improved in mice given FM or Lc. The small intestine, from G2 showed shorter villi and diminution of IgA+ and F4/80+ cells compared to mice from G1 or G2 given FM or Lc. NKT cells in liver were also increased in mice from G2 given FM. These improvements had not effect in the protection against Salmonella infection. The administration of FM or Lc in G2 increased the phagocytic activity of spleen and peritoneal macrophages prior to the OVA-immunization and maintained these increases in peritoneal macrophages postimmunization, compared to mice from G2 given water. No modifications in the anti-OVA-IgG concentrations were observed in the serum of mice from G2 compared to G1. Results show the potentiality of probiotic supplementation to the diet of obese hosts to improve the gut response altered by obesity.