An intact blood–brain barrier (BBB) is vital for regulating the exchange of nutrients and molecules between the circulatory system and the brain parenchyma. Viorica Braniste and colleagues found that germ-free mice displayed increased BBB permeability compared with pathogen-free mice with normal gut microbiota. Exposure of the germ-free mice to a pathogen-free gut microbiota decreased BBB permeability and upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins.
References
Braniste, V. et al. The gut microbiota influences blood–brain barrier permeability in mice. Sci. Transl. Med. 6, 263ra158 (2014)
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More connections between the brain and the gut revealed. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 12, 5 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2014.223
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2014.223