Figure 8.

Effect of Weissella viridescens UCO-SMC3 on the immune response against Cutibacterium acnes skin infection. Mice were divided into three groups: with no UCO-SMC3 treatment (control group); treated topically (10⁸ bacterial cells/mL in sterile PBS on the back) with the UCO-SMC3 strain (cutaneous UCO-SMC3 group) or treated orally (10⁸ bacterial cells/mL in sterile PBS per gavage) with the UCO-SMC3 strain (oral UCO-SMC3 group). W. viridiscens UCO-SMC3 was administered daily for 10 days. On day 11, these mice and the untreated control group were challenged with C. acnes (subdermal injection of 10⁸ CFU). Variations in CD11c⁺MHC-II⁺ antigen-presenting cells (APCs), CD3⁺CD4⁺ T cells, and CD4⁺CD25⁺ activated T cells in facial lymph nodes (FLN) were determined 5 days after C. acnes infection. Statistically different compared to the infected control group (*) p < 0.05, (**) p < 0.01. Statistically different compared to the non-infected control group (†) p < 0.05, (††) p < 0.01.