Bacillus coagulans 13002 and fructo-oligosaccharides improve the immunity of mice with immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide through modulating intestinal-derived and fecal microbiota

This study aims to evaluate the effects of probiotic Bacillus coagulans 13,002 (BCS) and prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) on mice treated with the alkylating agent cyclophosphamide (CTX). We found that both BCS and FOS, especially BCS, significantly alleviated CTX-induced injury by modulating intestinal-derived and fecal microbiota. BCS and BCS + FOS increased serum immunoglobulin levels, which were reduced by CTX. In addition, BCS and BCS + FOS upregulated IFN-γ and IL-4, which protect mucosal barriers and the balance of Th1/Th2. BCS promoted the growth of some beneficial bacteria, such as Bacteroides, Coprococcus, Enterococcus, Oscillospira, and Ruminococcus in mouse gut. In addition, BCS + FOS inhibited the growth of several harmful bacteria, including Acinetobacter, Arthrobacter, Brachybacterium, Corynebacterium, Jeotgalicoccus, Sporosarcina, and Staphylococcus. Furthermore, BCS potentially improved the growth of Anaerotruncus bacteria, which can promote the production of butyrate acids. In summary, according our results suggest that BCS and FOS improved the immunity of mice with immunosuppression induced by CTX through modulating intestinal-derived and fecal microbiota.