Both living and dead Faecalibacterium prausnitzii alleviate house dust mite‐induced allergic asthma through the modulation of gut microbiota and short‐chain fatty acid production

Background Asthma is increasingly prevalent worldwide, and novel strategies to prevent or treat this disease are needed. Probiotic intervention has recently been reported to be effective for asthma prevention. Here, we explored the effects of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii on the development of allergic airway inflammation in a murine model of house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic asthma. Results Supplementation with living and dead F. prausnitzii blocked eosinophils, neutrophil, lymphocytes, and macrophages influx and alleviated the pathological changes. Moreover, both living and dead F. prausnitzii administration decreased the levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IgG1, elevated the regulatory T cells (Tregs) ratio, improved the microbial dysbiosis, and enhanced SCFAs production. The network correlation analysis revealed that the immune indicators were strongly associated with SCFAs production. Based on the linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe), Turicibacter was found as the core genus related to HDM-induced asthma. Living F. prausnitzii treatment enriched Faecalibaculum, Dubosiella, and Streptococcus, while dead F. prausnitzii treatment increased Muribaculaceae and Parabacteroides. Interestingly, both living and dead F. prausnitzii administration enriched Lachnoclostridium and normalized the pathways involving carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms, which might be related to SCFAs production. Conclusion F. prausnitzii exerts an anti-asthmatic effect partly by gut microbiota modulation and SCFAs production, suggesting its promising potential as a probiotic agent for allergic asthma prevention. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.