There is growing evidence that the intestinal microbiota interacts with the host central nervous system (CNS) to modify stress responses and anxiety behaviour; this is the so-called gut–brain axis. Bravo et al. now show that chronic treatment of mice with the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1 can alter the transcript level for receptors of the neurotransmitter GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) in the CNS in a region-dependent manner. GABA is the main neurotransmitter in the CNS, and its receptors are important pharmological targets. L. rhamnosus JB-1 treatment decreased corticosterone levels as well as anxiety- and stress-related behaviour when compared with mock-treated mice. Importantly, the effects of probiotic treatment were blocked in vagotomized mice, indicating the vagus nerve as the likely communication pathway in the gut–brain axis.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER
Bravo, J. A. et al. Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 108, 16050–16055 (2011)
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Jermy, A. Probiotic ingestion alters mood. Nat Rev Microbiol 9, 766 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2686
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2686