Effect of Saccharomyces boulardii and Bacillus cereus var. toyoi on the humoral and cellular response of mice to vaccines

The effect of Saccharomyces boulardii and Bacillus cereus var. toyoi on the humoral and cellular response of mice to the simultaneous inoculation of a tetravalent E. coli bacterin and a viable vaccine against Canine Parvovirus is reported. Thirty-six isogenic BALB-c female mice, seven weeks old, were vaccinated with 1/20th of the dose used for pigs and dogs, respectively, and randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 received non-supplemented feed, group 2 was supplemented with S. boulardii, and group 3 with Bacillus cereus var. toyoi. The humoral response was quantified through ELISAs using specific antigens, and the cellular response quantifying IL-4 and IFNg through ELISA. Means of seroconversions to the bacterin were always higher in supplemented mice than in controls, varying from 1.6-1.8 for group 2 and from 1.2-1.4 for group 3. Seroconversions against Parvovirus for group 2 were 5.2-12 times higher, and those of group 3 were 6.8-9.1 times higher than those of controls. IL-4 was produced by spleen cells of S. boulardii supplemented mice stimulated with E. coli fimbriae.