Oral administration of viable Bifidobacterium pseudolongum strain Patronus modified colonic microbiota and increased mucus layer thickness in rat

This study aimed at evaluating the alteration of the colonic microbiota and the changes in the mucus layer thickness induced by oral administration of living bifidobacteria in rats. The study was performed on rats fed with Bifidobacterium pseudolongum strain Patronus (1010 bacteria per day for 7 days). This bacterial administration led to a large increase of mucus thickness (57%, P < 0.05). Both quantitative PCR and high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed a significant increase of the amount of the Bifidobacterium genus in the microbiota of rats fed with the strain Patronus, associated with a decrease of Akkermansia muciniphila. The increase in mucus thickness could be due to an increase of the bifidobacteria per se or via the decrease of A. muciniphila, a major mucin-degrading species. As the mucus layer plays an essential role in gut protection, our data enlighten the importance of studying mucus-degrading bacteria for understanding the underlying etiology of diseases such as intestinal bowel diseases and to implement new therapeutic strategies.