Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG supplementation modulates the gut microbiota to promote butyrate production, protecting against deoxynivalenol exposure in nude mice

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most common mycotoxin in grains, and DON exposure causes gastrointestinal inflammation and systemic immunosuppression. The immunosuppression caused by DON has raised serious concerns about whether it is safe to use probiotics in immunocompromised hosts. Gut microbiota remodeling by Lactobacillus is a potential effective strategy to prevent DON exposure. The athymic nude mice were chose as the model of immunocompromised animals. We tested the effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) or Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) supplementation on host protection against DON exposure and the underlying mechanisms in nude mice. DON exposure induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and impaired intestinal barrier function and microbiota, which were relieved by LGG supplementation but not LA supplementation. LGG supplementation significantly enhanced the intestinal barrier function, increased the body weight and the survival rate in nude mice that exposed to DON for two weeks. Furthermore, LGG supplementation modulated the gut microbiota by increasing the abundance of Bacteroidetes and the levels of the butyrate-producing genes But and Buk to promote butyrate production. Butyrate inhibited the IRE1α/XBP1 signaling pathway to reduce DON-induced intestine injury. In conclusion, LGG supplementation modulated the gut microbiota to promote butyrate production, protecting against DON exposure in nude mice. Both LGG and butyrate show promise for use in protecting against DON exposure.