LAUSR

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) addition on Listeria monocytogenes translocation and its toxin listeriolysin O (LLO), proinflammatory factors, immune organ indexes and serum immunoglobulins in farmed rabbits. Five treatments included negative control (NC), positive control (PC) with L. monocytogenes infection and supplemental LAB at 3.0 × 106 (low-LAB, L-LAB), 3.0 × 108 (medium-LAB, M-LAB) and 3.0 × 1010 (high-LAB, H-LAB) CFU/kg of diet, respectively. The LAB was a mixture of equal amounts of Lactobacillus acidophilus (ACCC11073), Lactobacillus plantarum (CICC21863) and Enterococcus faecium (CICC20430). A total of 180 weaned rabbits (negative for L. monocytogenes) were randomly assigned to 5 groups with 6 replicates of 6 rabbits each in response to the 5 treatments. L. monocytogenes infection occurred on the first day of feeding trial and dietary LAB supplementation lasted for 14 days. The results showed that on days 7 and 14 post administration, L. monocytogenes in caecum, liver, spleen and lymph nodes was reduced in M-LAB and H-LAB compared to PC (P < 0.05), and linear and quadratic reducing trends were found in liver on day 7 (P ≤ 0.002). On day 14, mucosa LLO mRNA expression and serum TNFα, IL1β and IFNγ were reduced in the three LAB treatments (P < 0.05), and linear and quadratic trends were found on TNFα and IL1β (P ≤ 0.025); indexes of thymus and spleen, serum IgA and IgG were increased in the LAB treatments (P < 0.05). It is concluded that LAB can be used to alleviate L. monocytogenes infection and to improve the immune function of farmed animals.