PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Gut bacteria linked to autism-related behavior in mice

2013-12-05
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Mary Beth O'Leary
moleary@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Gut bacteria linked to autism-related behavior in mice Mice whose mothers suffered from infection or inflammation during pregnancy are at greater risk for developing behaviors similar to those seen in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Cell on December 5 have linked those neurodevelopmental symptoms in the mice to changes in the bacteria living in the animals' guts. What's more, when researchers treated those animals with bacteria found in the healthy gut, a number of behavioral abnormalities including anxiety-like behavior largely went away.

"Several studies have shown that the microbiota can influence a variety of behaviors, from anxiety and pain to social and emotional behavior," said Elaine Hsiao from the California Institute of Technology. "Our work is the first to demonstrate that modulating the microbiota can influence autism-related behaviors in the context of a disease model."

Although the researchers urge caution, the findings link at least some symptoms of ASD to the gut and suggest that probiotics might have a therapeutic role in such cases. They say clinical trials are now needed to gather the evidence to verify this link found in mice.

Hsiao, along with Paul Patterson, Sarkis Mazmanian, and their colleagues, knew that some individuals with ASD also suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms. To investigate the connection, they looked to the maternal immune activation (MIA) mouse model, which has previously been used to model several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. What they uncovered in offspring of MIA animals with autism-like symptoms were gastrointestinal abnormalities and changes in the gut microbial community.

When the mice were given oral doses of the human gut microbe Bacteroides fragilis, their gastrointestinal and behavioral abnormalities were relieved. Further work showed that MIA mice have altered blood levels of some metabolites, many of which are modulated by B. fragilis. When otherwise normal mice were treated with a metabolite found at elevated levels in MIA animals, they too showed certain behavioral abnormalities, suggesting a direct link between gut bacteria, metabolites, and behavior.

"Taken together," the researchers concluded, "these findings support a gut-microbiome-brain connection in a mouse model of neurodevelopmental disorders and identify a potential probiotic therapy for gastrointestinal and behavioral symptoms in human disorders, including autism."

###

Cell, Hsiao et al.: "The microbiota modulates gut physiology and behavioral abnormalities associated with autism."

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Those fruit flies are pickier than you think

2013-12-05
Those fruit flies are pickier than you think On your kitchen counter, it might seem as though fruit flies will show up for just about any type of fruit you leave around for them. But when given a choice about where to lay their eggs, those flies will go for citrus most ...

Scientists accelerate aging in stem cells to study age-related diseases like Parkinson's

2013-12-05
Scientists accelerate aging in stem cells to study age-related diseases like Parkinson's Stem cells hold promise for understanding and treating neurodegenerative diseases, but so far they have failed to accurately model disorders that occur late in life. A study published by ...

Electrical brain stimulation may evoke a person's 'will to persevere'

2013-12-05
Electrical brain stimulation may evoke a person's 'will to persevere' VIDEO: What gives some people the ability to persevere through difficult situations that others may find ...

Tracking exercise as vital sign associated with weight loss and better glucose control for patients

2013-12-05
Tracking exercise as vital sign associated with weight loss and better glucose control for patients Asking patients about their exercise habits was associated with weight loss in overweight patients and improved glucose control for patients with diabetes, according ...

How mosquitoes are drawn to human skin and breath

2013-12-05
How mosquitoes are drawn to human skin and breath UC Riverside researchers identify affordable, safe and pleasant-smelling compounds that can help control spread of mosquito-borne diseases RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Female mosquitoes, which can transmit deadly ...

New finding shows that mother sharks 'home' to their birthplace to give birth, like salmon and sea turtles

2013-12-05
New finding shows that mother sharks 'home' to their birthplace to give birth, like salmon and sea turtles Research suggests local shark conservation efforts by individual nations can have an impact Research conducted in Bimini in The ...

Laser light at useful wavelengths from semiconductor nanowires

2013-12-05
Laser light at useful wavelengths from semiconductor nanowires Nanowire lasers could work with silicon chips, optical fibers, even living cells Thread-like semiconductor structures called nanowires, so thin that they are effectively one-dimensional, ...

New study explains why promising dementia drugs failed in clinical trials

2013-12-05
New study explains why promising dementia drugs failed in clinical trials Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people, yet there currently are no effective drugs to stop, slow or prevent disease progression. A study online December 5th in the ...

Membrane enzymes 'stop and frisk' proteins indiscriminately

2013-12-05
Membrane enzymes 'stop and frisk' proteins indiscriminately New insights may explain difficulty of finding drugs for infectious disease For what is believed to be the first time, researchers at The Johns Hopkins University have illuminated the inner workings of ...

Sanford-Burnham researchers identify new target to treat psoriasis

2013-12-05
Sanford-Burnham researchers identify new target to treat psoriasis Scientists identify a molecular pathway that rebalances the immune system by turning down inflammatory T-cell responses providing a new target to treat inflammatory ailments ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

New Barkhausen noise measurement system unlocks key to efficient power electronics

Novel accurate approach improves understanding of brain structure in children with ADHD

New clinical trial to test sensory prostheses for people with upper-limb loss

New study shows proactive forest management reduces high severity wildfire by 88% and stabilizes carbon during extreme droughts

Teen loneliness triggers ‘reward seeking’ behaviour

How fast mRNA degrades linked to autoimmune disease risk

What stiffening lung tissue reveals about the earliest stages of fibrosis

Kessler Foundation’s Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, honored with James J. Peters Distinguished Service Award from ASCIP

Tiny fish open new horizons for autism research.

How eye-less corals see the light

Storing breast milk for specific times of day could support babies’ circadian rhythm

Growing a new, pencil-shaped structure of gold named “quantum needles”

Transparent mesoporous WO₃ film enhances solar water splitting efficiency and stability

Protostellar jet detection in Milky Way’s outer region reveals universal star formation

New research uncovers a ‘ghost’ of the Australian bush

Study establishes link between rugby and dementia

Can courts safeguard fairness in an AI age?

Less than half of England has access to Mounjaro on the NHS months after roll-out

Study highlights cultural differences in parenting and reveals that how babies are soothed matters more than how fast

Claims on baby food fail to stack up

Potential molecular link between air pollutants and increased risk of Lewy body dementia revealed

Deaths from high blood pressure-related kidney disease up nearly 50% in the past 25 years

U.S. survey finds salt substitutes rarely used by people with high blood pressure

Researchers map key human proteins that power coronavirus replication, pointing to new treatment strategies

Single hair strand could provide biomarker for ALS, Mount Sinai study finds

Bio-oil made with corn stalks, wood debris could plug orphaned fossil fuel wells

Can the 'good' bacteria in your mouth act as probiotic cavity fighters?

This common fish has an uncommon feature: Forehead teeth, used for mating

UI Health performs first islet cell transplant with Lantidra

Study shows not all dietary proteins are digested the same way

[Press-News.org] Gut bacteria linked to autism-related behavior in mice