Anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 mediate via reshaping of microbiome gut-brain axis in rats

Jan 14, 2023Neurochemistry international

Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 may reduce anxiety and depression by changing gut bacteria and their communication with the brain in rats

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Abstract

Treatment with Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 for 6 weeks alleviated anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in stress-exposed rats.

Stress-exposed rats displayed reduced sucrose preference, increased passivity, and decreased exploration in anxiety and depression assessments.
Probiotic treatment reversed neurochemical changes, including decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and serotonin levels, and increased inflammatory markers in the hippocampus and frontal cortex.
Systemic levels of key metabolites related to mood, such as L-tryptophan and kynurenic acid, were restored following treatment.
The probiotic administration influenced gut microbiome composition, as indicated by changes in the Firmicutes to Bacteroides ratio and short-chain fatty acid levels in fecal samples.
No significant changes were observed in certain protein levels related to neuroplasticity and gut integrity.

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BACKGROUND: Due to the rising cases of treatment-refractory affective disorders, the discovery of newer therapeutic approaches is needed. In recent times, probiotics have garnered notable attention in managing stress-related disorders. Herein, we examined the effect of Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2® probiotic on anxiety- and depression-like phenotypes employing maternal separation (MS) and chronic-unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model in rats.

METHODS: Both male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to MS + CUMS. Probiotic treatment was provided for 6 weeks via drinking water. Anxiety- and depression-like phenotypes were assessed using sucrose-preference test (SPT), forced-swimming test (FST), elevated-plus maze test (EPM), and open-field test (OFT). Blood, brain, intestine, and fecal samples were obtained for biochemical and molecular studies.

RESULTS: Stress-exposed rats drank less sucrose solution, showed increased passivity, and explored less in open-arms in SPT, FST, and EPM, respectively. These stress-generated neurobehavioral aberrations were alleviated by 6-week of Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 treatment. The overall locomotor activity in OFT remained unchanged. The decreased levels of BDNF and serotonin and increased levels of C-reactive protein, TNF-α, IL-1β, and dopamine, in the hippocampus and/or frontal cortex of stress-exposed rats were reversed following probiotic treatment. Administration of probiotic also restored the systemic levels of L-tryptophan, L-kynurenine, kynurenic-acid, and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, villi/crypt ratio, goblet-cell count, Firmicutes to Bacteroides ratio, and levels of acetate, propionate, and butyrate in fecal samples. These results indicate remodeling of the microbiome gut-brain axis in Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 recipient rats. However, protein levels of doublecortin, GFAP, and zona occludens in the hippocampus and occludin-immunoreactivity in the intestine remained unchanged. No prominent sex-specific changes were noted.

CONCLUSION: Anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 in MS + CUMS rat model may be mediated via reshaping the microbiome gut-brain axis.

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Anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 mediate via reshaping of microbiome gut-brain axis in rats

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