The probiotic Bifidobacteria infantis : An assessment of potential antidepressant properties in the rat

Abstract It is becoming increasingly apparent that probiotics are important to the health of the host. The absence of probiotic bacteria in the gut can have adverse effects not only locally in the gut, but has also been shown to affect central HPA and monoaminergic activity, features that have been...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of psychiatric research 2008-12, Vol.43 (2), p.164-174
Main Authors: Desbonnet, Lieve, Garrett, Lillian, Clarke, Gerard, Bienenstock, John, Dinan, Timothy G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Animals
Antidepressant drugs
Antidepressive Agents - blood
Antidepressive Agents - metabolism
Antidepressive Agents - pharmacology
Behavior, Animal - drug effects
Bifidobacterium
Bifidobacterium infantis
Biogenic Monoamines - metabolism
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - drug effects
Brain - metabolism
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Cortex
Corticosterone - blood
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - drug effects
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - metabolism
Cytokines
Cytokines - blood
Cytokines - drug effects
Depression
Depression - blood
Depression - metabolism
Depression - prevention & control
Disease Models, Animal
Flow Cytometry
Forced swim test
Hypothalamus - drug effects
Hypothalamus - metabolism
Immunoenzyme Techniques
Intestines - microbiology
Kynurenic Acid - metabolism
Male
Medical sciences
Mood disorders
Neuropharmacology
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Probiotics
Probiotics - pharmacology
Psychiatry
Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer
Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease)
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychopharmacology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Stress, Psychological - blood
Stress, Psychological - metabolism
Tryptophan
Tryptophan - drug effects
Tryptophan - metabolism
Vasopressins - drug effects
Vasopressins - metabolism
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Summary:Abstract It is becoming increasingly apparent that probiotics are important to the health of the host. The absence of probiotic bacteria in the gut can have adverse effects not only locally in the gut, but has also been shown to affect central HPA and monoaminergic activity, features that have been implicated in the aetiology of depression. To evaluate the potential antidepressant properties of probiotics, we tested rats chronically treated with Bifidobacteria infantis in the forced swim test, and also assessed the effects on immune, neuroendocrine and central monoaminergic activity. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated for 14 days with B. infantis . Probiotic administration in naive rats had no effect on swim behaviours on day 3 or day 14 following the commencement of treatment. However, there was a significant attenuation of IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-6 cytokines following mitogen stimulation ( p < 0.05) in probiotic-treated rats relative to controls. Furthermore, there was a marked increase in plasma concentrations of tryptophan ( p < 0.005) and kynurenic acid ( p < 0.05) in the bifidobacteria-treated rats when compared to controls. Bifidobacteria treatment also resulted in a reduced 5-HIAA concentration in the frontal cortex and a decrease in DOPAC in the amygdaloid cortex. The attenuation of pro-inflammatory immune responses, and the elevation of the serotonergic precursor, tryptophan by bifidobacteria treatment, provides encouraging evidence in support of the proposition that this probiotic may possess antidepressant properties. However, these findings are preliminary and further investigation into the precise mechanisms involved, is warranted.
ISSN:0022-3956
1879-1379
DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2008.03.009