@article{mbs:/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.000938, author = "Moon, Phil-Dong and Lee, Jin Soo and Kim, Hee-Yun and Han, Na-Ra and Kang, Inyeong and Kim, Hyung-Min and Jeong, Hyun-Ja", title = "Heat-treated Lactobacillus plantarum increases the immune responses through activation of natural killer cells and macrophages on in vivo and in vitro models", journal= "Journal of Medical Microbiology", year = "2019", volume = "68", number = "3", pages = "467-474", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.000938", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.000938", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1473-5644", type = "Journal Article", keywords = "nitric oxide", keywords = "Lactobacillus plantarum", keywords = "macrophages", keywords = "natural killer cells", keywords = "nuclear factor-κB", abstract = " Purpose. Recently, Lactobacillus plantarum (nF1) has been reported to have immune-enhancing effects in an immunosuppressed-animal model. Natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages play important roles in the immune responses. However, immunomodulatory effects of heat-treated Lactobacillus plantarum -nF1 (hLp-nF1) on the activation of NK cells and macrophages have not been elucidated. Methodology. We assessed whether hLp-nF1 could elevate the activation of NK cells and macrophages using cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced immunosuppressed BALB/c mice and RAW 264.7 macrophages. A nitric oxide (NO) assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot analysis and NK cell activity assay were used to examine the effects of hLp-nF1 on the immune enhancement. Results/Key findings. Administration of hLp-nF1-elevated NK cell activities and serum levels of TNF-α, IL-2, and IL-12 in CP-induced immunosuppressed mice. In RAW 264.7 macrophages, treatment with hLp-nF1 increased the production of NO and expression of inducible NO synthase. Simultaneously, hLp-nF1 increased the production of TNF-α, IL-2, and IL-6 from RAW 264.7 cells. Finally, hLp-nF1 induced activation of nuclear factor-κB and phosphorylation of IκBα. Conclusion . We identified that hLp-nF1 has an immune-enhancing effect through the activation of NK cells and macrophages. Therefore, these findings suggest that hLp-nF1 would be helpful to enhance the immunity.", }