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Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of probiotics in gut inflammation: A door to the body
The gut microbiome is maintained at a particular composition of bacterial genera, however, if such a balance is disturbed by the opportunistic invasion of other bacteria, this subjects the body to several health issues rooted in infections and inflammation. The human immune system has adapted to maintain host-microbiome symbiosis, while at the same time, the gut microbiome was found to be able to regulate immune, physiological and metabolic functionality, up to playing a role in the maturation of the immune system during early life. Derangements in the gut microbiome composition (i.e., microbiome dysbiosis), function, or microbiome-host interactions are responsible for the pathogenesis of negative health conditions. Several animal and human studies demonstrated how probiotics can regulate inflammatory and immune mechanisms, however, the exact mechanism behind this relationship is not well understood. Probiotic intake, influenced by stress, age, medication, diet, and body mass index (BMI), in addition to gut physiology and permeability, influences the overall gut microbiome composition. Cristofori et al. (2021) discuss in their narrative review how the intake of probiotics can favorably influence gut microbiome composition by preserving intestinal cellular tight junctions, enhancing mucus barrier integrity, and reducing the levels of lipopolysaccharides (which are responsible for inflammatory cascades through activating toll-like receptors on macrophages and dendritic cells), thus minimizing intestinal inflammatory development and excessive immune system activation. In addition, probiotics modulate T-cell-mediated inflammatory cytokine release (interleukin 4 and 10), further decreasing the inflammatory burden in the gut. The authors highlight current evidence on probiotic-microbiome interactions and immunity, both in vitro and in vivo settings, and how probiotic-focused interventions can be utilized as novel treatments against microbiome dysbiosis. [NPID: Autism spectrum disorders, celiac disease, inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, microbiota, obesity, probiotics]
Year: 2021
