Protective Effect of Probiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection of Human Corneal Epithelial Cells

Abstract

Probiotic therapy needs consideration as an alternative strategy to prevent and possibly treat corneal infection. This study aimed to assess the preventive effect of Lactobacillus reuteri and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis on reducing the infection of human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The probiotics’ preventive effect against infection was evaluated in cell monolayers pretreated with each probiotic 1 h and 24 h prior to P. aeruginosa challenge followed by 1 h and 24 h of growth in combination. Cell adhesion, cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory, and antinitrosative activities were evaluated. L. reuteri and B. longum adhered to HCE cells, preserved occludin tight junctions’ integrity, and increased mucin production on a SkinEthicTM HCE model. Pretreatment with L. reuteri or B. longum significantly protected HCE cells from infection at 24 h, increasing cell viability at 110% (110.51 ± 5.15; p ≤ 0.05) and 137% (137.55 ± 11.97; p ≤ 0.05), respectively. Each probiotic showed anti-inflammatory and antinitrosative activities, reducing TNF-α level (p ≤ 0.001) and NOx amount (p ≤ 0.001) and reestablishing IL-10 level (p ≤ 0.001). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that L. reuteri and B. longum exert protective effects in the context of corneal infection caused by P. aeruginosa by restoring cell viability and modulating inflammatory cytokine release.

Antagonistic Effects of Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum 090104 on Respiratory Pathogens

“…L. plantarum MBS17 [61] and L. fermentum LP10 [62] have been described to coaggregate with pathogenic strains of K. pneumoniae, while L. brevis gp104 can coaggregate with S. aureus [63]. This phenomenon has also been reported with pathogenic strains of P. aeruginosa isolated from sputum samples of cystic fibrosis patients, which can coaggregate with lactobacilli and bifidobacteria strains [64,65]. On the other hand, it was documented that B. subtilis KATMIRA1933 and B. amyloliquefaciens B-1895 are capable of coaggregating with various Acinetobacter spp.…”