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Updated: Feb 14, 2026
Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage
Published on: January 27, 2019
Probiotic treatment during neonatal age provides optimal protection against experimental asthma through the
Caroline Fraga Nunes1,2, Jeane S Nogueira1,2, Pedro Henrique Oliveira Vianna1
1Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Goés (IMPG) - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Insights
Administering probiotics to newborn mice prevented allergy development. This neonatal probiotic effect, linked to gut bacteria and regulatory T cells, established long-term tolerance to allergens.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Allergy Research
Background:
- Allergic diseases have increased significantly, with links to altered gut microbiota.
- The role of probiotics in managing allergies and restoring gut homeostasis is debated.
- Understanding the timing of probiotic intervention is crucial for allergy prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of early-life (neonatal) versus adult probiotic administration on experimental asthma.
- To assess the efficacy of probiotics in preventing allergen-induced sensitization and allergic responses.
- To explore the underlying mechanisms, including microbiota changes and immune cell modulation.
Main Methods:
- Mice were treated with probiotics at neonatal or adult stages before ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma induction.
- Evaluated asthma-like symptoms, gut microbiota composition, and CD4+ T lymphocyte populations (including regulatory T cells).
- Assessed the transferability of tolerance via splenic cells from probiotic-treated neonates.
Main Results:
- Neonatal probiotic treatment completely prevented experimental allergen-induced sensitization.
- Adult probiotic treatment did not confer protection against OVA-induced allergy.
- Neonatal tolerance was associated with gut microbiota modulation, increased cecum butyrate, and airway regulatory T cell accumulation.
Conclusions:
- Early-life probiotic exposure is essential for establishing long-term tolerance to allergens.
- The beneficial effects involve a synergistic interaction between gut microbiota and neonatal T cell characteristics, particularly regulatory T cells.
- Perinatal probiotic administration holds promise for preventing the development of allergic diseases.
Abstract:
The incidence of allergic diseases, which increased to epidemic proportions in developed countries over the last few decades, has been correlated with altered gut microbiota colonization. Although probiotics may play a critical role in the restoration of gut homeostasis, their efficiency in the control of allergy is controversial. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of probiotic treatment initiated at neonatal or adult ages on the suppression of experimental ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma. Neonatal or adult mice were orally treated with probiotic bacteria and subjected to OVA-induced allergy. Asthma-like symptoms, microbiota composition and frequencies of the total CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells were evaluated in both groups. Probiotic administration to neonates, but not to adults, was necessary and sufficient for the absolute prevention of experimental allergen-induced sensitization. The neonatally acquired tolerance, transferrable to probiotic-untreated adult recipients by splenic cells from tolerant donors, was associated with modulation of gut bacterial composition, augmented levels of cecum butyrate and selective accumulation of Treg cells in the airways. Our findings reveal that a cross-talk between a healthy microbiota and qualitative features inherent to neonatal T cells, especially in the Treg cell subset, might support the beneficial effect of perinatal exposure to probiotic bacteria on the development of long-term tolerance to allergens.
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