Modulation of the Gut–Lung Axis by Water Kefir and Kefiran and Their Impact on Toll-like Receptor 3-Mediated Respiratory Immunity
Stefania Dentice Maidana,
Julio Nicolás Argañaraz Aybar,
Leonardo Albarracin,
Yoshiya Imamura,
Luciano Arellano-Arriagada,
Fu Namai,
Yoshihito Suda,
Keita Nishiyama,
Julio Villena,
Haruki Kitazawa
Affiliations
Stefania Dentice Maidana
Laboratory of Immunobiotechnology, Reference Centre for Lactobacilli (CERELA-CONICET), San Miguel de Tucumán 4000, Argentina
Julio Nicolás Argañaraz Aybar
Cátedra de Inmunología, Instituto de Microbiología, Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán 4000, Argentina
Leonardo Albarracin
Laboratory of Immunobiotechnology, Reference Centre for Lactobacilli (CERELA-CONICET), San Miguel de Tucumán 4000, Argentina
Yoshiya Imamura
Food and Feed Immunology Group, Laboratory of Animal Food Function, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8572, Japan
Luciano Arellano-Arriagada
Food and Feed Immunology Group, Laboratory of Animal Food Function, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8572, Japan
Fu Namai
Food and Feed Immunology Group, Laboratory of Animal Food Function, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8572, Japan
Yoshihito Suda
Department of Food, Agriculture and Environment, Miyagi University, Sendai 980-8572, Japan
Keita Nishiyama
Food and Feed Immunology Group, Laboratory of Animal Food Function, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8572, Japan
Julio Villena
Laboratory of Immunobiotechnology, Reference Centre for Lactobacilli (CERELA-CONICET), San Miguel de Tucumán 4000, Argentina
Haruki Kitazawa
Food and Feed Immunology Group, Laboratory of Animal Food Function, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8572, Japan
The beneficial effect of milk kefir on respiratory heath has been previously demonstrated; however, water kefir and kefiran in the context of respiratory viral infections have not been investigated. Water kefir and kefiran could be alternatives to milk kefir for their application in persons with lactose intolerance or milk allergy and could be incorporated into vegan diets. Using mice models, this work demonstrated that the oral administration of water kefir or kefiran can modulate the respiratory Toll-like receptor (TLR3)-mediated innate antiviral immunity and improve the resistance to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. The treatment of mice with water kefir or kefiran for 6 days improved the production of interferons (IFN-β and IFN-γ) and antiviral factors (Mx2, OAS1, RNAseL, and IFITM3) in the respiratory tract after the activation of the TLR3 signaling pathway, differentially modulated the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, reduced RSV replication, and diminished lung tissue damage. Maintaining a proper balance between anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory mediators is vital for ensuring an effective and safe antiviral immune response, and the results of this work show that water kefir and kefiran would help to maintain that balance promoting a controlled inflammatory response that defends against infection while minimizing tissue damage.
