Effect of lactic acid bacteria on Listeria monocytogenes infection and innate immunity in rabbits

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) addition on Listeria monocytogenes translocation and its toxin listeriolysin O (LLO), proinflammatory factors, immune organ indexes and serum immunoglobulins in farmed rabbits. Five treatments included negative control (NC), positive control (PC) with L. monocytogenes infection and supplemental LAB at 3.0 × 106 (low-LAB, L-LAB), 3.0 × 108 (medium-LAB, M-LAB) and 3.0 × 1010 (high-LAB, H-LAB) CFU/kg of diet, respectively. The LAB was a mixture of equal amounts of Lactobacillus acidophilus (ACCC11073), Lactobacillus plantarum (CICC21863) and Enterococcus faecium (CICC20430). A total of 180 weaned rabbits (negative for L. monocytogenes) were randomly assigned to 5 groups with 6 replicates of 6 rabbits each in response to the 5 treatments. L. monocytogenes infection occurred on the first day of feeding trial and dietary LAB supplementation lasted for 14 days. The results showed that on days 7 and 14 post administration, L. monocytogenes in caecum, liver, spleen and lymph nodes was reduced in M-LAB and H-LAB compared to PC (P < 0.05), and linear and quadratic reducing trends were found in liver on day 7 (P ≤ 0.002). On day 14, mucosa LLO mRNA expression and serum TNFα, IL1β and IFNγ were reduced in the three LAB treatments (P < 0.05), and linear and quadratic trends were found on TNFα and IL1β (P ≤ 0.025); indexes of thymus and spleen, serum IgA and IgG were increased in the LAB treatments (P < 0.05). It is concluded that LAB can be used to alleviate L. monocytogenes infection and to improve the immune function of farmed animals.