Modulation of IL-12 and IFNγ by probiotic supplementation promotes protection against Toxocara canis infection in mice.

Abstract

In this study, supplementation with the probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii promoted a reduction in intensity of infection by Toxocara canis and modulates cytokines mRNA expression in experimentally infected mice. IL-12 gene transcription had 40-fold increase in S.&#xa0;boulardii supplemented uninfected mice and sevenfold increase in supplemented infected mice comparing with not supplemented group. Regarding IFN&#x3b3;, similar results were observed, since probiotic supplementation induced approximately 43-fold increase, but only in uninfected mice (P&#xa0;<&#xa0;0&#xb7;05). T.&#xa0;canis infection upregulated IL-10 expression while S.&#xa0;boulardii downregulated it and no change was observed for IL-4. Thus, based in these findings; we suggest that one possible mechanism responsible for S.&#xa0;boulardii protection effect against T.&#xa0;canis infection is by the modulation of cytokines expression, especially IL-12.