Characterization of the effects of three Lactobacillus species on the function of chicken macrophages.

Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus salivarius can influence the adaptive immune responses in chickens but vary in their ability to do so. The present study attempted to identify how these three bacteria alter the innate immune system. A chicken macrophage cell line, MQ-NCSU, was co-cultured with the three live Lactobacillus species, alone or in combination, grown at different temperatures for various durations of time.