The prevention of pathogen infections is one of the most extensively studied effects of probiotics. L. casei CRL 431 is a probiotic bacterium and its effects on the gut immune cells have been extensively studied. The aim of the present study was to determine, using a mouse model, the preventive and therapeutic effect of L. casei CRL 431 to achieve protection against Salmonella enteritidis serovar Typhimurium infection. In both previous and continuous (previous and post-infection) probiotic administration, the mechanisms induced by this lactic acid bacteria on the first line of intestinal defense (non-specific barrier and the innate immune cells associated to the gut), as a way to understand some of the mechanisms involved in the protection against Salmonella enteritidis serovar Typhimurium, were analyzed. The results obtained demonstrated that 7 days L. casei CRL 431 administration before infection decreased the severity of the infection with Salmonella enteritidis serovar Typhimurium, demonstrating that the continuous administration (even after infection) had the best effect. This continuous administration diminished the counts of the pathogen in the intestine as well as its spread outside this organ. Several mechanisms and cells are involved in this protective effect against Salmonella enteritidis serovar Typhimurium. L. casei CRL 431 acted on cells of the innate and adaptive immune response. The probiotic administration decreased the neutrophil infiltration with the consequent diminution of intestinal inflammation; activated the macrophage phagocytic activity in different sites such as Peyer's patches, spleen and peritoneum; and increased the number of IgA+cells in the lamina propria of the small intestine which was correlated with increased release of s-IgA specific against the pathogen in the intestinal fluids. The mechanism of the inhibition of cellular apoptosis was not involved.

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