Potential Anti-Allergy and Immunomodulatory Properties of Lactococcus lactis LB 1022 Observed In Vitro and in an Atopic Dermatitis Mouse Model

Lactococcus lactis is a lactic acid bacterium and used in the dairy food industry. The ameliorating effects of Lactobacillus species on atopic dermatitis (AD) have been extensively studied, but the specific effect of L. lactis strains has not yet been investigated. In this study, the efficacy of L. lactis LB 1022, isolated from natural cheese, was evaluated using RAW 264.7, HMC-1 and HaCaT cell lines and an ovalbumin-sensitized AD mouse model. L. lactis LB 1022 exhibited nitric oxide suppression and anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Oral administration of L. lactis LB 1022 to AD mice significantly reduced the levels of IgE, mast cells, and eosinophils, and a range of T cell-mediated T helper Th1, Th2, and Th17-type cytokines under interleukin (IL)-10, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). In addition, L. lactis LB 1022 treatment increased the concentration of short-chain fatty acids. Overall, L. lactis LB 1022 significantly modulated AD-like symptoms by altering metabolites and the immune response, illustrating its potential as candidate for use in functional food supplements to alleviate AD.