title: Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain reduces anxiety and improves cognitive function in the hyperammonemia rat.
abstract: Evidence suggests that the hyperammonemia (HA)-induced neuroinflammation and alterations in the serotonin (5-HT) system may contribute to cognitive decline and anxiety disorder during hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Probiotics that maintain immune system homeostasis and regulate the 5-HT system may be potential treatment for HA-mediated neurological disorders in HE. In this study, we tested the efficacy of probiotic Lactobacillus helveticus strain NS8 in preventing cognitive decline and anxiety-like behavior in HA rats. Chronic HA was induced by intraperitoneal injection of ammonium acetate for four weeks in male Sprague-Dawley rats. HA rats were then given Lactobacillus helveticus strain NS8 (10(9) CFU mL(-1)) in drinking water as a daily supplementation. The Morris water maze task assessed cognitive function, and the elevated plus maze test evaluated anxiety-like behavior. Neuroinflammation was assessed by measuring the inflammatory markers: inducible nitric oxide synthase, prostaglandin E2, and interleukin-1 β in the brain. 5-HT system activity was evaluated by measuring 5-HT and its metabolite, 5-HIAA, and the 5-HT precursor, tryptophan. Probiotic treatment of HA rats significantly reduced the level of inflammatory markers, decreased 5-HT metabolism, restored cognitive function and improved anxiety-like behavior. These results indicate that probiotic L. helveticus strain NS8 is beneficial for the treatment of cognitive decline and anxiety-like behavior in HA rats.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. jinfeng@psych.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D022124:Hyperammonemia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D015232:Dinoprostone