The Antiviral Effects of Heat-Killed <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> Strain Plasma Against Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika Viruses in Humans by Upregulating the IFN-α Signaling Pathway

The growing risk of contracting viral infections due to high-density populations and ecological disruptions, such as climate change and increased population mobility, has highlighted the necessity for effective antiviral treatment and preventive measures against Dengue virus (DENV), Chikungunya viru...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zhao Xuan Low, Osamu Kanauchi, Vunjia Tiong, Norhidayu Sahimin, Rafidah Lani, Ryohei Tsuji, Sazaly AbuBakar, Pouya Hassandarvish
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2304
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850267162680229888
author Zhao Xuan Low
Osamu Kanauchi
Vunjia Tiong
Norhidayu Sahimin
Rafidah Lani
Ryohei Tsuji
Sazaly AbuBakar
Pouya Hassandarvish
author_facet Zhao Xuan Low
Osamu Kanauchi
Vunjia Tiong
Norhidayu Sahimin
Rafidah Lani
Ryohei Tsuji
Sazaly AbuBakar
Pouya Hassandarvish
author_sort Zhao Xuan Low
collection DOAJ
description The growing risk of contracting viral infections due to high-density populations and ecological disruptions, such as climate change and increased population mobility, has highlighted the necessity for effective antiviral treatment and preventive measures against Dengue virus (DENV), Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and Zika virus (ZIKV). Recently, there has been increasing attention on the use of probiotics as a potential antiviral option to reduce virus infections. The present study aimed to assess the immunomodulatory effects of heat-killed <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> strain plasma (LC-Plasma) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and its subsequent antiviral response against DENV, CHIKV, and ZIKV. To evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of LC-Plasma on PBMCs isolated from healthy individuals, PBMCs were cultured at a density of 2 × 10<sup>5</sup> cells/well and stimulated with 10 µg/mL of LC-Plasma. LC-plasma-stimulated PBMCs demonstrated elevated interferon-alpha (IFN-α) production and cluster of differentiation 86 (CD86) and human leukocyte antigen-DR isotype (HLA-DR) upregulation, potentially linked to plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) activation. The replication of DENV, CHIKV, and ZIKV was dose-dependently inhibited when Huh-7 cells were stimulated with LC-Plasma-stimulated PBMC supernatant (LCP Sup). IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) expression, including IFN-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15), IFN-stimulated exonuclease gene 20 (ISG20), IFN-induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM-1), myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA), and radical S-adenosyl methionine domain-containing protein 2 (RSAD2), was significantly upregulated in LCP Sup-stimulated Huh-7 cells. Findings from this study indicate that LC-Plasma has the potential to induce IFN-α production, leading to an enhancement in the expression of ISGs and contributing to a broad-spectrum antiviral response. Thus, LC-Plasma may serve as a rational adjunctive treatment to ameliorate viral diseases, warranting future clinical trials.
format Article
id doaj-art-b7d35e3fa67b418fbdd340fdd51ac5df
institution OA Journals
issn 2076-2607
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Microorganisms
spelling doaj-art-b7d35e3fa67b418fbdd340fdd51ac5df2025-08-20T01:53:54ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072024-11-011211230410.3390/microorganisms12112304The Antiviral Effects of Heat-Killed <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> Strain Plasma Against Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika Viruses in Humans by Upregulating the IFN-α Signaling PathwayZhao Xuan Low0Osamu Kanauchi1Vunjia Tiong2Norhidayu Sahimin3Rafidah Lani4Ryohei Tsuji5Sazaly AbuBakar6Pouya Hassandarvish7Tropical Infectious Disease Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaTropical Infectious Disease Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaTropical Infectious Disease Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaTropical Infectious Disease Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaInstitute of Health Sciences, Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd., 2-26-1, Muraoka-Higashi, Fujisawa 251-8555, Kanagawa, JapanTropical Infectious Disease Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaTropical Infectious Disease Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaThe growing risk of contracting viral infections due to high-density populations and ecological disruptions, such as climate change and increased population mobility, has highlighted the necessity for effective antiviral treatment and preventive measures against Dengue virus (DENV), Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and Zika virus (ZIKV). Recently, there has been increasing attention on the use of probiotics as a potential antiviral option to reduce virus infections. The present study aimed to assess the immunomodulatory effects of heat-killed <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> strain plasma (LC-Plasma) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and its subsequent antiviral response against DENV, CHIKV, and ZIKV. To evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of LC-Plasma on PBMCs isolated from healthy individuals, PBMCs were cultured at a density of 2 × 10<sup>5</sup> cells/well and stimulated with 10 µg/mL of LC-Plasma. LC-plasma-stimulated PBMCs demonstrated elevated interferon-alpha (IFN-α) production and cluster of differentiation 86 (CD86) and human leukocyte antigen-DR isotype (HLA-DR) upregulation, potentially linked to plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) activation. The replication of DENV, CHIKV, and ZIKV was dose-dependently inhibited when Huh-7 cells were stimulated with LC-Plasma-stimulated PBMC supernatant (LCP Sup). IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) expression, including IFN-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15), IFN-stimulated exonuclease gene 20 (ISG20), IFN-induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM-1), myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA), and radical S-adenosyl methionine domain-containing protein 2 (RSAD2), was significantly upregulated in LCP Sup-stimulated Huh-7 cells. Findings from this study indicate that LC-Plasma has the potential to induce IFN-α production, leading to an enhancement in the expression of ISGs and contributing to a broad-spectrum antiviral response. Thus, LC-Plasma may serve as a rational adjunctive treatment to ameliorate viral diseases, warranting future clinical trials.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2304LC-Plasmaantiviralarbovirusesinterferonprobiotics
spellingShingle Zhao Xuan Low
Osamu Kanauchi
Vunjia Tiong
Norhidayu Sahimin
Rafidah Lani
Ryohei Tsuji
Sazaly AbuBakar
Pouya Hassandarvish
The Antiviral Effects of Heat-Killed <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> Strain Plasma Against Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika Viruses in Humans by Upregulating the IFN-α Signaling Pathway
Microorganisms
LC-Plasma
antiviral
arboviruses
interferon
probiotics
title The Antiviral Effects of Heat-Killed <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> Strain Plasma Against Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika Viruses in Humans by Upregulating the IFN-α Signaling Pathway
title_full The Antiviral Effects of Heat-Killed <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> Strain Plasma Against Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika Viruses in Humans by Upregulating the IFN-α Signaling Pathway
title_fullStr The Antiviral Effects of Heat-Killed <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> Strain Plasma Against Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika Viruses in Humans by Upregulating the IFN-α Signaling Pathway
title_full_unstemmed The Antiviral Effects of Heat-Killed <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> Strain Plasma Against Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika Viruses in Humans by Upregulating the IFN-α Signaling Pathway
title_short The Antiviral Effects of Heat-Killed <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> Strain Plasma Against Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika Viruses in Humans by Upregulating the IFN-α Signaling Pathway
title_sort antiviral effects of heat killed i lactococcus lactis i strain plasma against dengue chikungunya and zika viruses in humans by upregulating the ifn α signaling pathway
topic LC-Plasma
antiviral
arboviruses
interferon
probiotics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2304
work_keys_str_mv AT zhaoxuanlow theantiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT osamukanauchi theantiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT vunjiationg theantiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT norhidayusahimin theantiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT rafidahlani theantiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT ryoheitsuji theantiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT sazalyabubakar theantiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT pouyahassandarvish theantiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT zhaoxuanlow antiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT osamukanauchi antiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT vunjiationg antiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT norhidayusahimin antiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT rafidahlani antiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT ryoheitsuji antiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT sazalyabubakar antiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway
AT pouyahassandarvish antiviraleffectsofheatkilledilactococcuslactisistrainplasmaagainstdenguechikungunyaandzikavirusesinhumansbyupregulatingtheifnasignalingpathway