The Beneficial Role of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei NTU 101 in the Prevention of Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a recurrent allergic disease characterized by symptoms such as itching, redness, swelling, dryness, scaling skin, inflammation, and tissue damage. The underlying pathogenesis of AD remains unclear. Steroid drugs are commonly used in the clinical treatment of AD; however, their long-term use may lead to associated complications. Numerous studies have indicated that probiotics could modulate the immune system, enhance immune function, or suppress excessive immune responses. In this study, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei NTU 101 (NTU 101) was orally administered for a duration of 4 weeks, followed by the induction of AD using ovalbumin (OVA) in a mouse model. The skin condition of the stimulated site was observed during the induction period. Subsequently, the serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) content, splenocyte T cell typing, and skin histological interpretation were examined to evaluate the efficacy of NTU 101 in alleviating AD symptoms in allergen-exposed animals. The findings indicated that administering NTU 101 beforehand effectively alleviated skin symptoms in animals with AD. It reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells in skin tissue sections, and compared to the OVA group, there was a significant reduction in the thickening of the epidermal cell layer (decreased from 89.0 ± 20.2 µM to 48.6 ± 16.0 µM) and dermis layer (decreased from 310.3 ± 69.0 µM to 209.7 ± 55.5 µM). Moreover, the proportion of regulatory T (Treg) cells and T helper 2 (Th2) cells in splenocytes significantly increased, while the proportions of T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 17 (Th17) cells did not differ. It is speculated that the potential mechanism by which NTU 101 prevents AD involves increasing the expression of Forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3) and promoting Treg cell maturation, thereby alleviating allergic reaction symptoms associated with AD.