Suppression of Histamine Signaling by Probiotic Lac-B: a Possible Mechanism of Its Anti-allergic Effect

• Main Authors: Shrabanti Dev, Hiroyuki Mizuguchi, Asish K. Das, Chiyo Matsushita, Kazutaka Maeyama, Hayato Umehara, Takayuki Ohtoshi, Jun Kojima, Kiyotaka Nishida, Kunihiko Takahashi, Hiroyuki Fukui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2008-01-01
• Series: Journal of Pharmacological Sciences
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1347861319314331

It has been shown that probiotic bacteria are effective for the treatment of allergic diseases. As histamine plays a central role in allergic diseases, it is possible that probiotic bacteria affect the allergy-related histamine signaling. Here, we investigated the effect of Lac-B, a mixture of freeze-dried Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium longum, on the allergy-related histamine signaling. In the nasal allergy model rats made by sensitization and provocation with toluene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) for 3 weeks, TDI provocation caused acute allergy–like behaviors along with significant up-regulation of histamine H1 receptor (H1R) and histidine decarboxylase (HDC) mRNA expression, increased HDC activity, histamine content, and [3H]mepyramine binding activity in nasal mucosa. Prolonged treatment with Lac-B (40 mg/rat, p.o.) significantly suppressed both the allergy-like behaviors and all of the above mentioned factors involved in histamine signaling. Our findings indicate that oral administration of Lac-B showed significant anti-allergic effect through suppression of both H1R and HDC gene expression followed by decrease in H1R, HDC protein level, and histamine content. Suppression of histamine signaling may be a novel target of probiotics in preventing allergic diseases. Keywords:: Lac-B, histamine signaling, histamine H1 receptor, histidine decarboxylase, probiotics