Prophylactic Bifidobacterium adolescentis ATTCC 15703 supplementation reduces partially allergic airway disease in Balb/c but not in C57BL/6 mice

Allergic asthma is a chronic disease mainly characterised by eosinophil inflammation and airway remodelling. Many studies have shown that the gut microbiota of allergic individuals differs from that of non-allergic individuals. Although high levels of bifidobacteria have been associated with healthy persons, Bifidobacterium adolescentis ATCC 15703, a gut bacteria, has been associated with allergic individuals in some clinical studies. The relationship between B. adolescentis ATCC 15703 and asthma or allergies has not been well elucidated, and its effect may be dependent on the host’s genetic profile or disease state. To elucidate this question, we evaluated the role of preventive B. adolescentis ATCC 15703 treatment on experimental allergic airway inflammation in two genetically different mouse strains, Balb/c and C57BL/6 (B6). Balb/c mice display a greater predisposition to develop allergic responses than B6 mice. Oral preventive treatment with B. adolescentis ATCC 15703 modulated experimental allergic a...