For the
first time, a new study shows that "Probiotics and prebiotics can have
different effects on the immune system in male, compared [with] female,
piglets." The findings have important implications for research on the
effects of these supplements, as well as for personalized, probiotics-based
treatments.
Probiotics
are trending in the world of nutrition these days, and a growing body of
evidence is suggesting that the hype may well be justified.
Prebiotics,
such as the fiber in fruits and vegetables, and probiotics, such as the
microorganisms in yogurt and other fermented foods, may keep the whole body
healthy by supporting gastrointestinal health and a good balance of bacteria in
our guts.
The
linkTrusted Source between probiotics and the immune system has also received
considerable attention from the medical research community.
Evidence
suggests that probiotics help mediate the host's immune response, which is why
some researchers believe that probiotics may help treat immune-related
conditions such as allergies or eczema.
But immunity
differs considerably by sex; the medical community recognizes sex-based
disparities in adults' immune responses to various inflammatory and infectious
diseases.
However,
researchers know less about immunological sex differences in infants and even
less about the effect that dietary supplementation with probiotics may have on
the early-life development of the immune system.
So, with
this in mind, a team led by Marie Lewis, Ph.D. — a lecturer in gut immunology
and microbiology at the University of Reading, in the United Kingdom — set out
to investigate the effect of pre- and probiotics in young piglets of different
sexes.
Lewis and
her team published their findings in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.
Sex
differences in immune responses
The team
used an outbred piglet model to study the potential early sex differences in
the immune system. They looked at the immunity in the piglets' mucosal
surfaces, as well as systemic immune responses to new foreign
"intruders," or antigens.
The team
found that, at just 28 days old, the piglets showed significant sex-based
differences. The immune cells, antibodies, and other immune-related molecules
were different in males and females in response to probiotic supplementation.
For
instance, males and females responded differently to inulin — a prebiotic
derived from the chicory plant. Female pigs produced more of the
immunoglobulins IgA and IgM in their lymph tissue, while in male pigs, the
process occurred in the large intestine.
Also,
"The prebiotic inulin significantly increase[d] the number of cells
responsible for controlling immune responses, the regulatory T cells, in male
guts but not in female guts," reports Lewis.
"This
suggests that, during infancy, females may have greater potential for local
immune regulation than their male counterparts," write the authors.
Furthermore, they report, "Starch supplementation had no effect on females but increased IgM synthesis in all tissues in males."
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