Microbial lysate upregulates host oxytocin.
Neuropeptide hormone oxytocin has roles in social bonding, energy metabolism, and wound healing contributing to good physical, mental and social health. It was previously shown that feeding of a human commensal microbe Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) is sufficient to up-regulate endogenous oxytocin levels and improve wound healing capacity in mice. Here we show that oral L. reuteri-induced skin wound repair benefits extend to human subjects. Further, dietary supplementation with a sterile lysate of this microbe alone is sufficient to boost systemic oxytocin levels and improve wound repair capacity. Oxytocin-producing cells were found to be increased in the caudal paraventricular nucleus [PVN] of the hypothalamus after feeding of a sterile lysed preparation of L. reuteri, coincident with lowered blood levels of stress hormone corticosterone and more rapid epidermal closure, in mouse models. We conclude that microbe viability is not essential for regulating host oxytocin levels. The results suggest that a peptide or metabolite produced by bacteria may modulate host oxytocin secretion for potential public or personalized health goals.
Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Bernard J
BJ
Varian
Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; College of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Theofilos
T
Poutahidis
Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
Brett T
BT
DiBenedictis
Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Tatiana
T
Levkovich
Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Yassin
Y
Ibrahim
Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Eliska
E
Didyk
University of Massachusetts Medical School and Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA, USA.
Lana
L
Shikhman
Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
Harry K
HK
Cheung
College of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Alexandros
A
Hardas
Clinical Research Center, Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute or Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Catherine E
CE
Ricciardi
Clinical Research Center, Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute or Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Kumaran
K
Kolandaivelu
Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
Alexa H
AH
Veenema
Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Eric J
EJ
Alm
Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. Electronic address: serdman@mit.edu.
Susan E
SE
Erdman
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D052200:Limosilactobacillus reuteri; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D010121:Oxytocin; D003345:Corticosterone
Bacteria; Corticosterone; Postbiotic; Stress; Thymus; Wound healing