Effects of dietary galactooligosaccharides on immune system in mice
2008
Sato, T.(Nissin Sugar Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)) | Nakamura, Y. | Ozawa, O.
The effects of dietary galactooligosaccharides (GOS) on the murine immune system were examined. BALB/c mice were orally administered GOS, and the intestinal mucosal immune responses were measured. Fecal total IgA in the GOS group was significantly increased at 2 weeks after the start of administration and returned to the same level as the control group 3 weeks later. Four weeks later, the mice were sacrificed. Total IgA in supernatants of Peyer's patch cell cultures and colon tissue extracts from the GOS group were higher than in those from the control group. BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally immunized with ovalbumin (OVA). Total IgE and OVA-specific IgG 1 in serum and total IgE, OVA-specific IgG 1 and IL-4 secreted by splenocytes in vitro in the GOS diet group were significantly lower than those in the control diet group. The effects of GOS on experimental allergic rhinitis were then investigated. GOS significantly inhibited antigen-induced sneezing and tended to decrease nasal rubbing in sensitized BALB/c mice. These results indicate that GOS possesses immunostimulatory activity and anti-allergic effects. GOS did not augment proliferation of splenocytes from control mice and did not influence immunoglobulin production by splenocytes and Peyer's patch cells in vitro. On the other hand, cecal tissue weight and cecal content weight were significantly increased and the pH of the cecal content was decreased by GOS intake. We suggest that the effects of GOS on the murine immune system appear to be mediated by intestinal microflora.
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