Low-dose perinatal supplementation with Enterococcus faecalis increases concentrations of short-chain fatty acids in the offspring but does not protect against allergic asthma

Abstract

Childhood allergic asthma is associated with a dysbiotic gut microbiome in early life, and maternal perinatal treatment with probiotics is a potential way alter the infant microbiome, which may improve asthma outcomes. This study used a mouse model to examine the effect of maternal supplementation with the probiotic Enterococcus faecalis on faecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations and asthma risk in the offspring. Pregnant/lactating mice were treated daily, from gestation day 6 to postnatal day 21, with an oral suspension of 106, 107 or 108 colony-forming units of a live preparation of the probiotic E. faecalis (Symbioflor®1). At weaning, offspring were subjected to an ovalbumin-induced experimental asthma protocol. Faeces were collected from the mothers and offspring at several different time points to determine SCFA concentrations. It was found that maternal supplementation with E. faecalis did not alter litter size, sex ratio or offspring weight, and was associated with an increase in SCFAs in offspring faeces at weaning and after allergy induction. However, allergic offspring from E. faecalis supplemented mothers showed no difference in asthma severity when compared with allergic offspring from control mothers. In conclusion, although maternal perinatal supplementation with low-dose E. faecalis was associated with increased faecal SCFAs in the offspring, it did not protect against offspring asthma. This is may be because SCFA concentrations were not increased to an immunoprotective level. We recommend that future studies concentrate on probiotic supplementation in high-risk cases, for instance, to repair gut dysbiosis resulting from antibiotic use in pregnant mothers or their infants.