Effect of doxycycline and Lactobacillus probiotics on mRNA expression of ABCC2 in small intestines of chickens

Probiotics and antibiotics are widely used in poultry and may alter drug bioavailability by affecting the expression of intestinal ATP-binding cassette (ABC) efflux transporters. Therefore the aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the effect of Lactobacilli probiotics, administered alone or in combination with doxycycline, on the expression of ABCB1 (gene, encoding P-glycoprotein), ABCC2 (gene, encoding multidrug resistance protein 2, MRP2) and ABCG2 (gene, encoding breast cancer resistance protein) mRNAs in chicken using RT-PCR. Duc one-day-old chicks (n=24) were divided equally in four groups: untreated control, probiotics supplemented group, probiotics plus doxycycline treated chickens and antibiotic administered group. Expression of ABCC2 mRNA was affected by doxycycline or by combination of Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis and L. bulgaricus and the antibiotic in the intestines. These results can be used as a basis for further functional studies to prove the beneficial effect on limitation of the absorption of toxins and improvement of efflux of endogenous substances and xenobiotics when the combination of doxycycline and Lactobacillus spp. probiotics are administered to poultry.