Multi-strain Probiotic Formulation Reverses Maternal Separation and Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Generated Anxiety- and Depression-like Phenotypes by Modulating Gut Microbiome–Brain Activity in Rats

Jun 23, 2022ACS chemical neuroscience

Multi-strain probiotics may reduce anxiety and depression from early separation and chronic stress by changing gut bacteria and brain activity in rats

AI simplified

Gut-Brain Axis on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Over 322 million people worldwide suffer from depression, and a multi-strain probiotic formulation may alleviate anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in stress-exposed rats.

Stress exposure in rats resulted in increased passivity, reduced sucrose consumption, and minimal exploration in behavioral tests.
Treatment with the multi-strain probiotic formulation (Cognisol) for 6 weeks improved behavioral abnormalities associated with stress.
Cognisol administration reversed decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and serotonin while increasing levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and dopamine in the brain.
The probiotic treatment restored plasma levels of several metabolites and neurotransmitters, which are linked to improved intestinal functions.
Cognisol reshaped gut microbiome-brain activity and showed potential benefits in both male and female rats.

AI simplified

Depression is a debilitating mental disorder that affects >322 million people worldwide. Despite the availability of several antidepressant agents, many patients remain treatment refractory. A growing literature study has indicated the role of gut microbiota in neuropsychiatric disorders. Herein, we examined the psychobiotic-like activity of multi-strain probiotic formulation in maternal separation (MS) and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) models of anxiety- and depression-like phenotypes in Sprague-Dawley rats. Early- and late-life stress was employed in both male and female rats by exposing them to MS and CUMS. The multi-strain probiotic formulation (Cognisol) containingUnique IS-2,UBLP-40,UBLR-58,UBBLa-70,UBBr-01, andUBBI-01 at a total strength of 10 billion cfu along with l-glutamine was administered for 6 weeks via drinking water. Neurobehavioral assessment was done using the forced swim test (FST), sucrose preference test (SPT), elevated plus maze (EPM), and open field test (OFT). Animals were sacrificed after behavioral assessment, and blood, brain, and intestine samples were collected to analyze the levels of cytokines, metabolites, and neurotransmitters and histology. Animals exposed to stress showed increased passivity, consumed less sucrose solution, and minimally explored the open arms in the FST, SPT, and EPM, respectively. Administration of multi-strain probiotics along with l-glutamine for 6 weeks ameliorated the behavioral abnormalities. The locomotor activity of animals in the OFT and their body weight remained unchanged across the groups. Cognisol treatment reversed the decreased BDNF and serotonin levels and increased CRP, TNF-α, and dopamine levels in the hippocampus and/or frontal cortex. Administration of Cognisol also restored the plasma levels of l-tryptophan, l-kynurenine, kynurenic-acid, and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid; the-to-ratio; the levels of acetate, propionate, and butyrate in fecal samples; the villi/crypt ratio; and the goblet cell count, which manifested in the restoration of intestinal functions. We suggest that the multi-strain probiotic and glutamine formulation (Cognisol) ameliorated the MS + UCMS-generated anxiety- and depression-like phenotypes by reshaping the gut microbiome-brain activity in both sexes. Bacillus coagulans Lactobacillus plantarum Lactobacillus rhamnosus Bifidobacterium lactis Bifidobacterium breve Bifidobacterium infantis Firmicutes Bacteroides

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View full text (PDF) ↗View full text ↗

Multi-strain Probiotic Formulation Reverses Maternal Separation and Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Generated Anxiety- and Depression-like Phenotypes by Modulating Gut Microbiome–Brain Activity in Rats

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the gut-brain axis brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the gut-brain axis brief