Intake of dairy products fermented with Penicillium candidum suppresses intestinal inflammation in the Alzheimer's disease model mouse

Abstract

　Recent epidemiological studies suggest that certain dairy products may reduce the risk of cognitive decline in the elderly and prevent Alzheimer's disease. We previously demonstrated that intake of a dairy product fermented with Penicillium candidum, i.e., Camembert cheese, suppressed the deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) and inflammation in the brain of Alzheimer's disease model mice. Previous studies suggest that peripheral inflammation is induced in these mice owing to Aβ deposition in the peripheral nervous tissue and that peripheral inflammation is associated with inflammation in the brain and cognitive decline. In the present study, the effects of a dairy product fermented with P. candidum on myeloid dendritic cells (DCs) and immune responses in the peripheral lymph node of Alzheimer's model mice have been investigated. The extract from Camembert cheese suppressed the inflammatory responses of myeloid DCs in vitro. Intake of Camembert cheese reduced peripheral inflammation and increased regulatory T cells in the mesenteric lymphoid nodes of Alzheimer's disease model mice. Taken together, dairy products fermented with P. candidum might be beneficial in the prevention of inflammation in both brain and peripheral tissue inducing cognitive decline.