Yeast cell wall polysaccharides enhanced expression of T helper type 1 and 2 cytokines profile in chicken B lymphocytes exposed to LPS challenge and enzyme treatment

ABSTRACT

1. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential immunomodulatory effects of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and yeast-derived products treated with a cell wall lytic enzyme mixture on the gene expression of toll-like receptors and cytokines of chicken B cell line (DT 40) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide.

2. The effect of brewer’s yeast (Y), yeast cell wall (YCW), distilled dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and a processed yeast + nucleotide-rich product (PY/N) treated with a yeast cell wall lytic enzyme (E) was assessed using a chicken B cells and LPS challenge model.

3. Relative gene expression of toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytokines was investigated. Treatment of cells with Y, YCW, YCW + E and PY/N upregulated the expression of TLR2b following LPS challenge. Gene expression of TLR4 was downregulated in E, YCW and YCW + E treatments compared to control, while adding DDGS and PY/N upregulated the expression of TLR4 either before or after enzyme treatment. Following LPS challenge, expression of IL-4 and IL-10 was upregulated in cells treated with YCW and PY/N, both pre and post enzyme incubation. Adding YCW and PY/N to the cells challenged with LPS upregulated the expression of IFN-γ and IL-12 before and after enzyme treatment. Treatment of cells with YCW, DDGS and PY/N increased the expression of IL-6 prior to LPS challenge.

4. In conclusion, the results suggested that yeast-derived products affected immunomodulatory activities by changing the expression of cytokines involved in the innate immune response.

KEYWORDS:

• Endotoxin
• B lymphocytes
• lytic
• immunomodulation
• lymphokine

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Henrik Stryhn for his assistance and guidance in analysing the results. This research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Poultry Research Council (CPRC).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).