Lactobacillus mucosae exerted different antiviral effects on respiratory syncytial virus infection in mice

Qianwen Wang; Zhifeng Fang; Lingzhi Li; Hongchao Wang; Jinlin Zhu; Pinghu Zhang; Yuan-Kun Lee; Jianxin Zhao; Hao Zhang; Wenwei Lu; Wei Chen

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.1001313

Lactobacillus mucosae exerted different antiviral effects on respiratory syncytial virus infection in mice

Front Microbiol. 2022 Aug 26:13:1001313. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1001313. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Qianwen Wang^{1

2}, Zhifeng Fang^{1

2}, Lingzhi Li^{1

2}, Hongchao Wang^{1

2}, Jinlin Zhu^{1

2}, Pinghu Zhang³, Yuan-Kun Lee^{4

5}, Jianxin Zhao^{1

2}, Hao Zhang^{1

2

6

7

8}, Wenwei Lu^{1

2

5

6

7}, Wei Chen^{1

2

6}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
² School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
³ Institute of Translational Medicine and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
⁴ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
⁵ International Joint Research Laboratory for Pharmabiotics and Antibiotic Resistance, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
⁶ National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
⁷ Institute of Food Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Yangzhou, China.
⁸ Wuxi Translational Medicine Research Center and Jiangsu Translational Medicine Research, Institute Wuxi Branch, Wuxi, China.

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a constant threat to the health of young children, and this is mainly attributed to the lack of effective prevention strategies. This study aimed to determine whether Lactobacillus (L.) mucosae, a potential probiotic, could protect against respiratory viral infection in a mouse model. Naive 3-4-week-old BALB/c mice were orally administered with three L. mucosae strains (2.5 × 10⁸ CFU/mouse) 7 days before RSV infection (10⁵ TCID₅₀/mouse). Results showed that all three strains inhibited RSV replication and reduced the proportions of inflammatory cells, including granulocytes and monocytes in the blood. The L. mucosae M104R01L3 treatment maintained stable weight in mice and increased interferon (IFN)-β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels. The L. mucosae DCC1HL5 treatment increased interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-10 levels. Moreover, the M104R01L3 and DCC1HL5 strains increased the proportions of Akkermansia, Alistipes, and Anaeroplasma which contributed to the advantageous modulation of the gut microbiota. Besides, L. mucosae affected the gut levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are important for the antiviral response. L. mucosae 1,025 increased acetate, propionate, and butyrate levels, whereas L. mucosae M104R01L3 increased the level of acetate in the gut. L. mucosae M104R01L3 may protect against viral infection by upregulating the IFN-β levels in the lungs and its antiviral effect may be related to the increase of acetate levels in the gut. In conclusion, the three L. mucosae strains exerted antiviral effects against RSV infection by differentially regulating immune responses and intestinal micro-ecological balance. This study can provide a reference for studying the mechanisms underlying the antiviral effects of L. mucosae.

Keywords: Lactobacillus mucosae; gut microbiota; immune response; respiratory syncytial virus; short-chain fatty acid.