Oral administration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae UFMG A‐905 prevents allergic asthma in mice

ABSTRACT Background and objective The prevalence of asthma has increased in communities that adopt a Western lifestyle and become more urbanized. Probiotics may be effective in the prevention of allergic diseases, such as asthma. The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae UFMG A‐905 in an allergic model of asthma. Methods Balb/c mice were sensitized twice with ovalbumin (OVA) intraperitoneally, 1 week apart and challenged with OVA intranasally for 3 days. Mice were daily treated with S. cerevisiae UFMG A‐905 via gavaging needle 10 days before OVA sensitization and during challenges. After challenge, in vivo lung function was measured, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung inflammation were assessed. Results Oral treatment with S. cerevisiae UFMG A‐905 significantly decreased airway hyperresponsiveness, total cell number and the influx of eosinophils to the airway, inflammatory cell in the lung, mucus expression in epithelial cells and the levels of IL‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13. Additionally, S. cerevisiae UFMG A‐905 restored the levels of IL‐10 and interferon (IFN)‐gamma, and increased the levels of IL‐17A. Conclusion Oral administration of S. cerevisiae UFMG A‐905 prevented the development of major asthma‐like characteristics in a mouse model. Probiotics are a promising strategy for asthma prevention. We evaluated the effects of a yeast probiotic in ovalbumin‐challenged mice. Oral administration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae UFMG A‐905 prevented the development of main asthma‐like characteristics, such as bronchial hyperresponsiveness, bronchoalveolar eosinophilia and airway and lung inflammation.