The mechanism underlying the dose effect of probiotics on ameliorating diarrhea has not been fully elucidated.Here,low(1×109 CFU/mL) or high(1×1011 CFU/mL) doses of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 were administered orally to piglets for 1 week before F4(K88)-positive enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(F4+ ETEC)challenge.Administration of a low,but not a high,dose of L.rhamnosus decreased the percentage of CD3+ CD4+CD8- T cells in the peripheral blood.Notably,transiently increased serum concentrations of interleukin-17A(IL—17A) were observed after F4+ ETEC challenge in pigs pretreated with a high dose of L.rhamnosus.Administration of L.rhamnosus increased the percentage of the small intestinal lamina propria CD3+ CD4+ CD8- cells and Peyer’s patch CD3+ CD4- CD8- and CD3- CD4- CD8+ cells.The percentage of ileal intraepithelial CD3+ CD4- CD8+ cells increased only in the high-dose piglets.Administration of L.rhamnosus downregulated expression of ileal IL-17 A after F4+ ETEC challenge but had no effect on expression of gamma interferon(IFN-7),IL-12,IL-4,and FOXP3 mRNA in the small intestine.Expression of jejunal IL-2,ileal transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1),and ileal IL-10 was upregulated in the low-dose piglets after F4+ ETEC challenge.Our findings suggest that amelioration of infectious diarrhea in piglets by L.rhamnosus is associated with the generation of lamina propria CD3+ CD4+ CD8T cells,the expansion of Peyer’s patch CD3+ CD4- CD8- and CD3- CD4- CD8+ cells,and the attenuation of F4+ETEC-induced increase in CD3+ CD4+ CD8+ T cells in the small intestine.However,consumption of high doses of L.rhamnosus may increase levels of serum IL-17 A after F4+ ETEC challenge,thus eliciting a strong proinflammatory response.