Gut Microbiota and Bacterial DNA Suppress Autoimmunity by Stimulating Regulatory B Cells in a Murine Model of Lupus.

ABSTRACT: Autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, are characterized by excessive inflammation in response to self-antigens. Loss of appropriate immunoregulatory mechanisms contribute to disease exacerbation. We previously showed the suppressive effect of vancomycin treatment during the "active-disease" stage of lupus. In this study, we sought to understand the effect of the same treatment given before disease onset. To develop a model in which to test the regulatory role of the gut microbiota in modifying autoimmunity, we treated lupus-prone mice with vancomycin in the period before disease development (3-8 weeks of age). We found that administration of vancomycin to female MRL/lpr mice early, only during the pre-disease period but not from 3 to 15 weeks of age, led to disease exa

SUBMITTER: Mu Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7683516 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature