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Induction of 2'-5' A synthetase activity and interferon in humans by bacteria used in dairy products
1Unité de Recherches sur la Nutrition et l'Alimentation, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France.
Abstract:
The production of interferon by fasted human subjects in response to lactic bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus was evaluated in vivo and in vitro. The 2'-5' A synthetase activity of blood mononuclear cells was used to estimate interferon production following a single ingestion of 10(11) bacteria in yoghurt or sterile milk (controls). The level of the 2'-5' A synthetase of the yoghurt fed subjects was 83% (p = 0.002) higher than that of the milk fed controls 24 hours after ingestion. The baseline value remained unchanged in the control group. Blood mononuclear cells from a second group of subjects, were cultured with lactic bacteria for 48 hours, their cell-free supernatants contained gamma interferon. These results suggest that a transient production of interferon can be induced in healthy subjects by the lactic bacteria used in food processing.
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