The Human Milk Oligosaccharide 2'-Fucosyllactose Shows an Immune-Enhancing Effect in a Cyclophosphamide-Induced Mouse Model

The 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) is the richest components in a human milk oligosaccharide. Several studies have reported that 2'-FL has beneficial effects in infants. However, there are few studies on its immune-enhancing effects. This research aimed to examine the immune-enhancing effect of 2'-FL on immunosuppression by cyclophosphamide (CCP) in ICR mice. Mice were orally administered distilled water or 0.5 mg/kg B.W. 2'-FL for 14 days. An immunocompromised mouse model was induced using CCP 80 mg/kg B.W. at 12-14 days. Using the CCP had effects on reducing their body weight, organ weight, spleen index, natural killer (NK) cell activity, and cytokines concentration and expression. This study also used concanavalin A-mediated T-cell proliferation to verify the immune-enhancing effects in the sample. Body weight, spleen index, organ weight, and cytokine levels were measured to estimate the immune-enhancing effects. The body weight at 14 days tended to increase, and the spleen weight and index significantly increased in the 2'-FL group compared to the CCP group. The NK cell activity increased in the 2'-FL group compared to the CCP group, but there was no significant difference. The concentration of interleukin (IL)-2 tended to recover in the 2'-FL group compared to the CCP group. The 2'-FL group showed a significant increase of IL-10 and IFN-gamma concentration compared to the CCP group. In addition, there was a trend of increased IL-10 mRNA expression compared to the CCP group. These results revealed that 2'-FL improved CCP-induced immunosuppression, suggesting that 2'-FL may have the potential to enhance the immune system.