US20020031503A1

US20020031503A1 - Immunity enhancing lactic acid bacteria

Info

Publication number: US20020031503A1
Application number: US09/485,875
Authority: US
Inventors: Harsharnjit Gill; John B. Smart; Pramod K. Gopal
Original assignee: New Zealand Dairy Board
Current assignee: New Zealand Dairy Board
Priority date: 1997-08-21
Filing date: 1998-08-18
Publication date: 2002-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 2018-08-18
Also published as: EP1007625A4; ES2399324T3; WO1999010476A1; US6379663B1; CN1150314C; MY116272A; DK2241616T3; PL338775A1; DK1007625T3; HU228046B1; HUP0002949A3; AU727940B2; KR100406344B1; PL195110B1; NZ337520A; EP2241616B1; SK283008B6; GB2338245B; ES2349669T3; EP1007625B1

Abstract

Novel bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and HN 067, Lactobacillus acidophilus HN017, and Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 are claimed. Each strain provides immune enhancing effects when ingested.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to novel strains of lactic acid bacteria and their use in enhancing immunity.

BACKGROUND ART

The consumption of products containing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is associated with a range of health benefits including enhancement of immunity. There are thousands of strains of lactic acid bacteria but only some strains exhibit health-promoting properties. The ability of these bacteria to tolerate acids and bile salts, adhere to mucosal epithelial cells, and to survive passage through the gastrointestinal tract is considered an important criterion for selection of health-promoting strains. Only a few strains of lactic acid bacteria with proven health benefits have been identified to date.

Strains of LAB showing good adhesion to the cells of the mucosal epithelium of the small intestine thereby lending themselves to therapeutic applications are known from New Zealand Patent 248057. The micro-organisms described in this patent enhance both natural immunity (phagocyte function) and acquired immunity (antibody responses and lymphocyte proliferation responses).

It is desirable to have other LAB bacteria that enhance a broad spectrum of immune responses including phagocyte function.

It is an object of this invention to go some way towards achieving these desiderata or at least to offer the public a useful choice of immune enhancing lactic acid bacteria.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, in one aspect the invention may be said broadly to consist of a biologically pure culture of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, AGAL deposit number NM97/09514 dated Aug. 18, 1997.

In another aspect the invention may be said broadly to consist of a biologically pure culture of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN067, AGAL deposit number NM97/01925 dated Feb. 17, 1998.

In another aspect the invention may be said broadly to consist of a composition of a biologically pure culture of any one of Lactobacillus acidophilus HN017, AGAL deposit number NM97/09515 dated Aug. 18, 1997, Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN067 or Bifidobacterium lactis HN019, AGAL deposit number NM97/09513 dated Aug. 18, 1997 in an immunostimulating concentration, with a physiologically acceptable excipient or diluent.

In one embodiment said composition contains any two or more of said strains.

Preferably said physiologically acceptable excipient or diluent is a food.

Preferably said food is any one of cultured milk, yoghurt, cheese, milk drink or milk powder.

Alternatively said composition is a pharmaceutical composition and said excipient or diluent is pharmacologically acceptable excipient or diluent.

Immunity enhancing, physiologically acceptable, biologically pure strains of homologues or mutants of any one of the strains:

Lactobacillus acidophilus HN017,

Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001,

Bifidobacterium lactis HN019, or

Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN067.

In another embodiment the invention may be said broadly to consist of a method of enhancing natural and acquired immunity which comprises administering to a mammal any one of the above biologically pure cultures at an immunostimulating dosage rate.

In another embodiment substantially biologically pure cultures of two or three of the above-defined strains are present.

Preferably said culture is administered in the form of a composition with a physiologically acceptable excipient or diluent.

Preferably said physiologically acceptable excipient or diluent is a food.

Preferably said food is cultured milk, yoghurt, cheese, milk drink or milk powder.

This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the effect of supplementation of mice with product fermented with [0024] L. rhamnosus HN001 or unfermented product containing L. rhamnosus HN001 on phagocyte activity of peripheral blood leukocytes as described in example 5. BALB/c nice were fed on milk based diets containing 10⁹cfu (per day) L. rhamnosus HN001 in either fermented or unfermented product for 14 days. Phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes was determined using flow cytometry and fluoroscein isothiocyanate-labelled Escherichia coli. Values are mean±standard error. Significant differences (ANOVA, the SAS program) from the control: **P<0.0001.
FIG. 2 shows the effect of supplementation of mice with live [0025] L. rhamnosus HN001 or heat killed L. rhamnosus HN001 on phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes as described in example 7. BALB/c mice were fed on milk based diets and orally administered 10⁹cfu (per day) of either live or heat killed L. rhamnosus HN001 for 14 days. Phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes and peritoneal macrophages were determined using flow cytometry and fluoroscein isothiocyanate—labelled Escherichia coli. Values are mean±standard error. Significant differences (ANOVA, the SAS program) from the control, **P<0.0001.
FIG. 3 shows the effect of supplementation of mice with [0026] L. rhamnosus HN001 or B. lactis HN019 on bacteria translocation in mice challenged with S. typhimurium as described in example 8. Unsupplemented and B. lactis HN019, or L. rhamnosus HN001 supplemented BALB/c mice were orally challenged with S. typhimurium following continuous daily supplementation. Six days after challenge mice were humanely killed and their livers and spleens were harvested for monitoring bacterial translocation. Tissue suspensions from the harvested organs were then cultured on MacConkey agar plates for 24-48 hr prior to enumeration. Values are mean±standard error. Significant differences (ANOVA, the SAS program) from the control: *P<0.05.
FIG. 4 shows the effect of supplementation of mice with [0027] L. rhamnosus HN001 or B. lactis HN019 on the phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes from mice challenged with S. typhimurium as described in example 8. Unsupplemented and B. lactis HN019, or L. rhamnosus HN001 supplemented BALB/c mice were orally challenged with S. typhimurium following continuous daily supplementation. Phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes was determined six days after challenge using flow cytometry and fluoroscein isothiocyanate-labelled Escherichia coli. Values are mean±standard error. Values (mean±standard error) with different superscripts are significantly different (ANOVA, the SAS program): P<0.01.
FIG. 5 shows the effect of supplementation of mice with [0028] L. rhamnosus HN001 or B. lactis HN019 on the proliferative responses of spleen lymphocytes from mice challenged with S. typhimurium as described in example 8. Unsupplemented and B. lactis HN019, or L. rhamnosus HN001 supplemented BALB/c mice were orally challenged with S. typhimurium following continuous daily supplementation. Six days after challenge the proliferative responses of spleen lymphocytes were measured colourimetrically following the incorporation of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine for the final 16 hrs of the 96 hr incubation. Values (mean±standard error) with different superscripts are significantly different (ANOVA, the SAS program): P<0.01).

MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Freeze dried cultures of the four bacterial strains have been deposited at the Australian Government Analytical Laboratories (AGAL), The New South Wales Regional Laboratory, 1 Suakin Street, Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia. Details of the deposits are:



Strain	Number	Date

L. acidophilus HN017	NM97/09515	August 18 1997
L. rhamnosus HN001	NM97/09514	August 18 1997
B. lactis HN019	NM97/09513	August 18 1997
L. rhamnosus HN067	NM97/01925	February 11 1998

The four strains identified above have been found to enhance a broad spectrum of immune responses including both natural and acquired immune responses. [0030]

EXAMPLE 1

Morphology and General Properties

RAPD analysis, 16S rRNA sequencing and SDS-PAGE analyses were used to confirm taxonomical characterisation of strains. It was also found that [0031] L. acidophilus HN017 was genetically different from L. acidophilus (LC1) of New Zealand Patent No.248057.
RAPD analysis, 16S rRNA sequencing and SDS-PAGE analyses were used to confirm taxonomical characterisation of [0032] L. rhamnosus HN067; species-specific primers used for characterisation of L. rhamnosus HN067 at molecular level included Pr I (forward) 5-CAGACTGAAAGTCTGACGG-3 and Pha II (reverse) 5-GCGATGCGAATTTCTATTATT-3.

The morphology and sugar fermentation properties of this strain are detailed in Tables 1 and2.

TABLE 1


Morphology and other characteristics

L. acidophilus	L. rhamnosus	B. lactis	L. rhamnosus
HN017	HN001	HN019	HN067

Short to medium	Short to medium	Microaerophilic to	Short to medium
rods with rounded	rods with square	anaerobic rods with	rods with square
ends, generally	ends in chains,	characteristic shapes	ends in chains,
occurring singly	generally 0.7 ×	such as middle	generally 0.7 × 1.1 ×
or in pairs or short	1.1 × 2.0-4.0 μm,	enlarged cells, ‘V’ or	2.0 to 4.0 μm,
chains, when	when grown in	palisade arrangement	when grown in
grown in MRS	MRS broth.	of cells when grown	MRS broth.
broth.	Gram positive,	on TPY agar slabs.	Gram positive,
Gram positive,	non-mobile, non-	In MR5 broth with	catalase negative,
non-spore	spore forming,	0.05% cysteine	non-mobile, non
forming, catalase	catalase negative	hydrochloride, they	spore-forming,
negative	facultative	form middle-enlarged	facultative
facultatively	anaerobic rods	cells and club shaped	anaerobic rods
anaerobic rods	with optimum	(spatulated	with optimum
with optimum	growth	extremities) cells,	growth
growth	temperature of	Gram positive, non-	temperature of
temperature of	37 ± 1° C. and	motile and non-spore	37 ± 1° C. and
37 ± 1° C. and	optimum pH of	forming, catalase	optimum pH of 6.0
optimum pH of	6.0-6.5. These	negative rods with	to 6.5. These are
6.0-6.5. These	are facultatively	optimum growth	facultatively
are obligately	heterofermentative	temperature of	heterofermentative
homofermentative	bacteria and no	37 ± 1° C. and optimum	bacteria and no
bacteria and no	gas produced from	pH of 6.0-7.0.	gas produced from
gas is produced	glucose.	Fructose-6-phosphate	glucose.
from glucose.		phospho-ketolase
		positive.

[0034]

TABLE 2

Carbohydrate fermentation pattern of selected Lactobacillus and

Bifidobacterium strains

S1. No. Name of the bacterium Score*

1 L. acidophilus HN 017 5755546

2 L. rhamnosus HN001 5757177

3 B. lactis HN019 1051622

4 L. rhamnosus HN067 5757175

EXAMPLE 2

Adhesion to Intestinal Cells

The ability of probiotic strains to adhere to human intestinal epithelial cells (HT-29 and CaCo-2) was assessed in vitro using differentiated cell-lines. Monolayers of HT-29 and CaCo-2 cells were grown on cover slips and placed in multi-well dishes. 10[0035] ⁸cfu/ml of LAB in 1 ml of spent culture supenatant was then added to cell layers along with 1 ml of DMEM medium and incubated for 1 hr at 37° C. in 10% CO₂-90% air. Monolayers were washed 4 times with PBS, fixed in methanol, Gram strained and the number of bacteria adhering to epithelial cells determined microscopically. On average, 20 fields were counted and the results are summarised in Table 3.

TABLE 3

Adherence to HT-29 and CaCo-2 cell lines*

STRAIN HT-29 CaCo-2

L. acidophilus HN 017 98 ± 17 171 ± 16

L. rhamnosus HN 001 161 ± 18 218 ± 35

B. lactis HN 019 188 ± 27 194 ± 25

EXAMPLE 3

Enhancement of Natural and Acquired Immunity

The immunoenhancing effects of the three strains [0036] L. rhamnosus HN001, L. acidophilus HN017 and B. lactis HN019 were examined by determining phagocyte (blood leukocytes and peritoneal macrophage) function, and quantifying concentrations of specific antibodies to protein antigens used for mimicking responses to vaccines in mice.
The following experimental protocol was used: [0037]
1. Six-to-seven week old BALB/c mice, weighing 20-30 g were used. [0038]
2. Mice were randomly allocated to different treatment groups (Table 4) [0039]
3. Mice were fed [0040] L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN001 or B. lactis HN019 (10⁹cfu/day) in 50 μl skim milk for 10 days. Control mice received 50 μl of skim milk powder only.
4. All mice received skim milk powder based diet throughout the experiment. [0041]

Blood leukocytes and macrophages from mice receiving L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN001 or B. lactis HN019 showed significantly greater phagocytic capacity compared with cells from control mice (Table 4). The production of oxygen radicals (oxidative burst) by leukocytes from probiotic fed mice was also higher than the control mice (data not shown).

TABLE 4


The effect of dietary L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN001 and
B. lactis HN019 on phagocyte function in mice

	% Blood	% Peritoneal
	leukocytes with	macrophage with
Treatment	phagocytic activity	phagocyte activity

Control	14.33 ± 0.87	66.1 ± 3.5
L. acidophilus HN017	22.7 ± 1.21**	79.0 ± 1.0**
L. rhamnosus HN001	24.84 ± 0.93**	80.5 ± 1.8**
B. lactis HN019	23.19 ± 0.95**	77.4 ± 2.6*

The concentration of specific IgG antibodies in the sera and in the intestinal washings of mice receiving L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN001 or B. lactis HN019 was also greater than those of control mice (Table 5).

TABLE 5


The effect of dietary L. acidophilus HN017, L rhamnosus HN001 and
B. lactis HN019 on serum and mucosal antibody responses

	Serum antibody	Mucosal antibody
	response	response
Treatment	(units/ml)	(units/ml)

Control	80.2 ± 6.0	1350 ± 96.0
L. acidophilus HN017	134.6 ± 25.2*	1548 ± 270.0
L. rhamnosus HN001	118.5 ± 12.5**	1512 ± 198.0
B. lactis HN019	158.1 ± 51.6***	1548 ± 234.0


# mean ± standard error. Significant differences (Students t test) from control:

EXAMPLE 4

Immunostimulating Effects Following Supplementation with LAB for Four Weeks

The immunostimulating effects of [0044] L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN001, and B. lactis HN019 were assessed in mice using the following experimental protocol:
1. Six-to-seven week old BALB/c mice, weighing 20-30 g were used. [0045]
2. Mice were randomly allocated (18/group) to different treatment groups. [0046]
3. After acclimatisation (for 7 days), mice were given 10[0047] ⁹cfu (per day) L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN001, or B. lactis HN019, in 50 μl skim milk, for 28 days (from day 0 to day 28). Control mice received 50 μl skim milk (without any micro-organisms) only.
4. Mice were offered a skim milk powder based-diet and water ad libitum, throughout the experiment. [0048]
5. Immunostimulating effects were assessed by monitoring phagocytic activity of blood leukocytes and peritoneal macrophages, NK-cell activity of splenic lymphocytes, lymphocyte proliferation (spleen cells) responses to a T-cell mitogen, ConA (an indicator of cell-mediated immunity) and antibody responses to Tetanus vaccine. [0049]
As seen in Table 6, leukocytes (neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages) from mice receiving [0050] L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN001, or B. lactis HN019 exhibited significantly greater phagocytic activity (an indicator of natural immunity) than leukocytes from control mice.

TABLE 6

The effect of dietary L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN001, and

B. lactis HN019 in mice

% Blood

leukocytes with % Peritoneal macrophages

Treatment phagocytic activity with phagocytic activity

Control 15.5 72.67

L. acidophilus HN017 29.4** 82.2*

L. rhamnosus HN001 24.2** 82.8**

B. lactis HN019 31.1** 83.0**
Consumption of [0051] L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN00 1, or B. lactis HN019 for 28 days also resulted in an increase in the NK-cell activity, lymphocyte proliferation responses to ConA and antibody responses to Tetanus vaccine. For all these indicators of immunocompetence, mice receiving L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN001, or B. lactis HN019 had higher responses than those of control mice (Table 7).

Together these results show that supplementation for extended periods with L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN001, or B. lactis HN019 is able to induce a sustained enhancement in several aspects of natural and acquired immunity.

TABLE 7


The effect of dietary L. acidophilus HN017, L. rhamnosus HN001,
and B. lactis HN019 on NK cell activity and lymphocyte proliferation
responses to ConA and antibody responses to Tetanus vaccine.

		Lymphocyte	Antibody
	NK cell	proliferation	responses to
ConA	activity	to ConA	Tetanus vaccine
Treatment	(%)	(absorbance)	(units/ml)

Control	8.8	1.4 ± 0.125	402.5 ± 41.4
L. acidophilus HN017	9.9	1.6 ± 0.44	923.9 ± 116.0*
L. rhamnosus HN001	11.5	1.8 ± 0.1*	711.5 ± 127.2*
B. lactis HN019	10.5	1.7 ± 0.5*	844.6 ± 134.7*


#mice were immunised with Tetanus vaccine (50 μl/dose, CSL, Australia) on days 7 and 21. The concentration of specific antibodies were determined using an ELISA; antigen supplied by the vaccine manufacturers (CSL, Australia) was used for coating plates. Values are least square means of 18 mice. Significant differences (the SAS analysis): *P < 0.05.

EXAMPLE 5

Enhancement of Natural and Acquired Immunity Using Fermented versus Unfermented Products

The aim was to assess the immunoenhancing efficacy of yoghurt made (fermented) using the probiotic strain [0053] L. rhamnosus HN001 compared to unfermented product containing L. rhamnosus HN001. The immunoenhancing effects were examined by determining the phagocyte function (peripheral blood leukocytes and peritoneal macrophages) and lymphocyte proliferative responses to a B-cell mitogen (LPS).
The following experimental protocol was used: [0054]
1. Six-to-seven week old BALB/c mice, weighing 20-30 g were used. [0055]
2. Mice were randomly allocated to different treatment groups. [0056]
3. Control mice received a whole milk powder-based diet throughout the experiment. [0057]
4. Test mice received 2.5 g yoghurt made using [0058] L. rhamnosus HN001 (10⁹cfu/day) or 2.5 g whole milk containing L. rhamnosus HN001 (10⁹cfu/day) per day as well as a whole milk powder based diet for 14 days.
Results [0059]
Mice receiving yoghurt made with [0060] L. rhamnosus HN001 or whole milk containing L. rhamnosus HN001 displayed a significantly higher level of phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes than was observed in mice receiving the control diet (FIG. 1). This increase was seen irrespective of whether the L. rhamnosus HN001 was delivered in the yoghurt (fermented with L. rhamnosus HN001) or unfermented product containing L. rhamnosus HN001. There was no difference in the level of phagocytic activity between mice receiving the fermented yoghurt made using L. rhamnosus (HN001) compared to unfermented WMP product containing L. rhamnosus (HN001).

Both the unfermented and L. rhamnosus HN001 fermented product fed mice showed higher lymphocyte proliferative responses to LPS than the control mice (Table 8). There was no significant difference in the response between mice receiving unfermented product containing L. rhamnosus HN001 and mice receiving product fermented with L. rhamnosus HN001.

TABLE 8


The effect of fermented and unfermented L. rhamnosus HN001 on
lymphocyte proliferative responses in mice

	Lymphocyte proliferation to
Treatment	LPS (absorbance)

Control (WMP)	0.4699 ± 0.028
WMP Fermented with L. rhamnosus HN001	0.5361 ± 0.028
Unfermented WMP with L. rhamnosus	0.5518 ± 0.028*
HN001


# 16 hrs of the 96 hr incubation. Values are means ± standard error. Significant differences (Students t test) from the control: *P = 0.05.

Together these results suggest that supplementation with [0062] L. rhamnosus HN001 enhances a range of immune functions including phagocytic activity and lymphocyte cell proliferation. L. rhamnosus HN001 presented in either fermented or unfermented product is effective at eliciting enhancement of immune function, with fermented product giving a greater response for some functions and unfermented being superior in others.

EXAMPLE 6

Enhancement of Natural and Acquired Immunity by L. rhamnosus HN067

[0063] Experiment 1
The immunoenhancing effects of [0064] L. rhamnosus HN067 were examined by monitoring phagocytic capacity of peripheral blood leukocytes and peritoneal macrophages (indicator of non-specific immunity), and quantifying concentrations of specific antibodies to an immunisation antigen, cholera toxin (used for mimicking responses to enteric vaccines) in mice.
The following experimental protocol was used: [0065]
1. Six-to-seven week old BALB/c mice, weighing 20-30 g were used. They were fed on a skim milk-based diet throughout the experiment. [0066]
2. Mice in the test group (n=6) were orally administered [0067] L. rhamnosus HN067 (10⁹cfu/day) in 50 μl skim milk for 10 days. Control mice (n=6) received 50 μl of skim milk powder (without any LAB) only.
Results [0068]

Blood leukocytes and peritoneal macrophages from mice receiving L. rhamnosus HN067 showed significantly greater phagocytic activity (enhanced phagocyte function) compared with cells from control mice. The results are set out in Table 9 below.

TABLE 9


The effect of dietary L. rhamnosus HN067 on phagocyte function

		% Peritoneal
	% Blood leukocytes with	macrophages with
Treatment	phagocytic activity	phagocytic activity

Control	13.1 ± 1.5	76.4 ± 1.9
L. rhamnosus HN067	23.7 ± 1.5**	87.2 ± 1.9*


# (the SAS program) from the control: P = 0.0005, *P = 0.0001.

The concentration of specific antibodies to cholera toxin, an antigen used for oral immunisation, in the sera and in the intestinal washings of mice receiving L. rhamnosus HN067 was also significantly greater than those of control mice (Table 10).

TABLE 10


The effect of dietary supplementation with L. rhamnosus HN067
on serum and mucosal antibody responses to cholera toxin

	Serum	Mucosal antibody
	anitbody response	response
Treatment	(units/ml)	(units/ml)

Control	63.1 ± 43.2	1969.7 ± 279.5
L. rhamnosus HN067	246.5 ± 43.2**	2995.5 ± 465.2*

[0071] Experiment 2
The immunostimulating effects of [0072] L. rhamnosus HN067 were assessed in mice using the following experimental protocol:
1. Six-to-seven week old BALB/c mice, weighing 20-30 g were used. They were offered skim milk powder based diet and water ad libitum, throughout the experiment. [0073]
2. After acclimatisation for 7 days, mice in group 1 (n=20) were orally administered with 10[0074] ⁹cfu (per day) L. rhamnosus (HN067) in 50 μl skim milk (group 1 n=20) for 14 days. Control nice (group 2, n=20) received skim milk without any microorganisms.
3. Immunostimulating effects were assessed by monitoring phagocytic activity of blood leukocytes and peritoneal macrophages, and spleen lymphocyte proliferation responses to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (T and B-cell mitogens respectively). [0075]
Results [0076]

Blood leukocytes and peritoneal macrophages from mice receiving L. rhamnosus HN067 exhibited significantly greater phagocytic activity (an indicator of natural immunity) than leukocytes and macrophages from control mice (Table 11).

TABLE 11


The effect of dietary L. rhamnosus HN067 on phagocyte function in
mice

	% Blood	% Peritoneal
	Leukocytes with	macrophages
Treatment	phagocytic activity	with phagocytic activity

Control	13.7 ± 0.07	64.6 ± 2.1
L. rhamnosus HN067	22.5 ± 0.07**	75.8 ± 1.7*

Mice receiving [0078] L. rhamnosus HN067 for 14 days also displayed higher lymphocyte proliferation responses to PHA and LPS compared with control mice (Table 12).

TABLE 12

The effect of L. rhamnosus HN067 supplementation on lymphocyte

proliferation responses to PHA and LPS

ConA Lymphocyte Lymphocyte

Treatment proliferation to PHA proliferation to LPS

Control 1.18 ± 0.08 0.99 ± 0.07

L. rhamnosus HN067 1.37 ± 0.07* 1.24 ± 0.06**
In summary, mice receiving [0079] L. rhamnosus HN067 displayed significant enhancement of a range of host immune responses including leukocyte phagocytic function, antibody responses to oral immunisation, and lymphocyte proliferation responses to T and B-cell mitogens. Blood leukocytes (neutrophils and monocytes) and macrophages are major effectors of natural immunity and play a major role in protection against microbial infections. A correlation between in vitro lymphocyte proliferation responses to mitogens (T- and B-cell mitogens) and immunocompetence of an individual is also well documented. Therefore, these results suggest that supplementation with L. rhamnosus HN067 is able to enhance several aspects of natural and acquired immunity.

EXAMPLE 7

Enhancement of Natural and Acquired Immunity Using Live and Heat Killed L. rhamnosus HN001

The aim of the present study was to investigate the immunoenhancing effects of the probiotic strain [0080] L. rhamnosus HN001 when presented in either the live or heat killed form. The effect on immune function was assessed by determining phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes. The effect of live and heat killed L. rhamnosus HN001 on humoral immunity was investigated by immunising mice with cholera toxin, and measuring the concentrations of specific antibodies produced.
The following experimental protocol was used: [0081]
1. Six-to-seven week old BALB/c mice, weighing 20-30 g were used. [0082]
2. Mice were randomly allocated to different treatment groups. [0083]
3. Control mice received a skim milk powder based diet throughout the experiment. [0084]
4. Test mice receive either 10[0085] ⁹cfu/day of live L. rhamnosus HN001 or to cfu/day heat killed L. rhamnosus HN001 per day as well as a skim milk powder-based diet for 14 days.
5. Mice were orally immunised with cholera toxin on [0086] day 0 and day 7 of feeding.
Results [0087]
[0088] L. rhamnosus HN001 feeding significantly enhanced the level of phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes compared to mice receiving the control diet (FIG. 2). This increase was seen irrespective of whether the L. rhamnosus HN001 was delivered in the live or heat killed form. There was no difference in the level of phagocytic activity between the mice receiving live L. rhamnosus HN001 compared to heat killed L. rhamnosus HN001.

Feeding of both live and dead L. rhamnosus HN001 induced an increase in both serum and mucosal antibody responses compared to the control mice. However, the level of response was significantly greater in the mice fed the live L. rhamnosus HN001 (Table 13).

TABLE 13


The effect of live and heat killed L. rhamnosus HN001 on serum and
mucosal antibody responses to Cholera Toxin in mice

	Serum antibody	Mucosal antibody
Treatment	response (units/ml)	response (units/ml)

Control	88.69 ± 18.52	708.6 ± 146.9
Live L. rhamnosus HN001	214.89 ± 62.33*	2054.5 ± 285.8***
Heat Killed L. rhamnosus	174.89 ± 44.78	1533.6 ± 319.3
HN001

These results suggest that both live and heat killed [0090] L. rhamnosus HN001 are able to enhance aspects of natural and acquired immunity in mice.

EXAMPLE 8

Anti-infection Properties of B. lactis HN019 and L. rhamnosus HN001

The aims of the current study were to: [0091]
1. Assess the protection efficacy of [0092] B. lactis HN019 and L. rhamnosus HN001 against the gastrointestinal pathogen Salmonella typhimurium.
2. Determine the role of immunostimulation induced by [0093] B. lactis HN019 and L. rhamnosus HN001 in protection against S. typhimurium infection in mice.
Anti-infection properties were assessed by measurement of bacterial translocation to the liver and spleen. The immunoenhancing effects were examined by determining the phagocyte function (peripheral blood leukocytes and peritoneal macrophages) and lymphocyte proliferative responses to a T-cell mitogen (PHA). [0094]
The following experimental protocol was used: [0095]
1. Six-to-seven week old BALB/c mice, weighing 20-30 g were used. [0096]
2. Mice were randomly allocated to 4 difference treatment groups and were individually housed. [0097]
3. All mice received a skim milk powder based diet throughout the experiment [0098]
4. Test mice commenced daily feeding of [0099] B. lactis HN019 or L. rhamnosus HN001 (10⁹cfu/day) 7 days prior to challenge, and continued for the duration of the trial.
5. Mice administered with [0100] B. lactis HN019 or L. rhamnosus HN001 and a control group (no LAB) were orally challenged with Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC 1772) 8×10⁵cfu/day for 5 days starting on day 7.
6. An uninfected control group did not receive [0101] S. typhimurium challenge.
7. On day 6 after challenge mice were used for the measurement of bacterial translocation to the liver and spleen, and for immune function assessment. [0102]
Results [0103]
Both the [0104] B. lactis HN019 and L. rhamnosus HN001 supplemented mice showed significantly lower levels of bacterial translocation into the liver and spleen than the S. typhimurium alone fed mice (FIG. 3).
Challenge infection resulted in a significant suppression of phagocyte function (FIG. 4); the phagocytic activity of control mice challenged with [0105] S. typhimurium was significantly lower than that of the uninfected mice. However, infection with S. typhimurium had no effect on the phagocytic ability of peripheral blood leukocytes of mice supplemented with B. lactis HN019 or L. rhamnosus HN001. This was shown by similar levels of phagocytic activity in mice supplemented with B. lactis HN019 or L. rhamnosus HN001 and challenged with S. typhimurium and the normal uninfected control mice.
Both the [0106] B. lactis HN019 and L. rhamnosus HN001 supplemented mice showed higher lymphocyte proliferative responses to PHA than the S. typhimurium challenged control (FIG. 5). There was no significant difference in the response between mice receiving B. lactis HN019 or L. rhamnosus HN001 and the uninfected control mice.
Together these results suggest that supplementation with [0107] B. lactis HN019 or L. rhamnosus HN001 is able to confer protection against enteric pathogens such as Salmonella typhimurium. Enhanced resistance to infection is accompanied by an increase in immune performance.

Claims

1. A biologically pure culture of either L. rhamnosus HN001 AGAL deposit number NM97/09514 dated Aug. 18, 1997 or L. rhamnosus HN067 AGAL deposit number NM97/01925 dated Feb. 11, 1998.

2. A biologically pure culture of L. rhamnosus HN001 AGAL deposit number NM97/09514 dated Aug. 18, 1997.

3. A biologically pure culture of L. rhamnosus HN067 AGAL deposit number NM97/01925.

4. A composition of a biologically pure culture of any one of L. rhamnosus HN001 as claimed in claim 2, L. rhamnosus HN067 as claimed in claim 3, B. lactis HN019 AGAL deposit number NM97/09513 dated Aug. 18, 1997 or L. acidophilus HN017 AGAL deposit number NM97/09515 dated Aug. 18, 1997 in an immunostimulating concentration, with a physiologically acceptable excipient or diluent.

5. A composition as claimed in claim 4 containing any two or more of said strains.

6. A composition as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein said physiologically acceptable excipient or diluent is a food.

7. A composition as claimed in claim 6 wherein said food is any one of cultured milk, yoghurt, cheese, milk drink or milk powder.

8. A composition as claimed in claim 4 or 5 which is a pharmaceutical composition and wherein said excipient or diluent is pharmacologically acceptable excipient or diluent.

9. Immunity enhancing physiologically acceptable biologically pure strains of homologues or mutants of any one of the strains:

L. acidophilus HN017,

L. rhamnosus HN001,

B. lactis HN019, or

L. rhamnosus HN067.

10. A method of enhancing natural and acquired immunity which comprises administering to a mammal a biologically pure cultures as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 and 9 at an immunostimulating dosage rate.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein biologically pure cultures of two or three of the above-defined strains are present.

12. A method of enhancing natural and acquired immunity which comprises administering to a mammal a composition as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 8.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said physiologically acceptable excipient or diluent is a food.

14. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said food is cultured milk, yoghurt, cheese, milk drink or milk powder.