Fig. 4
Protective effect of L. casei/pPG612.1-BLF in the VVC mouse model. a Estradiol valerate was given 3 days before inoculation. Following the application of the L. casei/pPG612.1-BLF into the murine vagina, the animals were infected with 20 μL of a C. albicans suspension in PBS at 108 CFU/mL delivered into the vaginal cavity. Two days after the infection, all mice were sacrificed and their vaginas were washed with 150 μL sterile PBS prior to being excised and fixed. b Vaginal lavages were centrifuged and the supernatant was analyzed for the concentration of IL-17 and IL-23 in the lavage before and after infection by ELISA tests according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. The concentration of IL-17 and IL-23 had been increased after infection with VVC in all mice groups (P < 0.01). The concentration of IL-17 was 19.07 ± 1.50 pg/mL in L.casei/pPG612.1-BLF group, significantly lower than (P = 0.01) those in L.casei/pPG612.1 group (25.98 ± 5.10 pg/mL), L.casei group (25.42 ± 3.22 pg/mL) and PBS group (24.74 ± 1.87 pg/mL). c As for the IL-23, it was lower in L.casei/pPG612.1-BLF group (11.43 ± 1.17 pg/mL) (P = 0.035), in comparison with that in L.casei/pPG612.1 group (13.73 ± 2.67 pg/mL), L.casei group (14.20 ± 0.92 pg/mL) and PBS group (14.56 ± 1.35 pg/mL)