Bi directional elucidation of probiotic intervention for neurological manifestations at gut brain axis

Abstract

Neurological complications occurring due to Salmonella infection in some typhoid patients remain a relatively unexplored serious complication. Further, an alarming escalation in antimicrobial resistance and reports pertaining to the inability of existing antibiotics in treating such infections, has worsened the situation resulting in a dearth of effective antimicrobials to combat such infections. In the face of such implications, efforts are being made by the scientific community to evaluate other bio-compatible strategies to which the organisms are unlikely to acquire resistance and along with treating infections, can improve various other aspects of host health. Herein, the use of probiotics presents as a potential treatment alternative. Given the direct association of gut inflammatory diseases with psychiatric and functional co-morbidity and the role of microbiota at gutbrain axis, the potential of probiotics in modulating this bi-directional communication was explored in Salmonella induced brain infection. Therefore, in the present study, initially, strain specificity of Salmonella in causing neurological manifestations was evaluated in mouse model using two different strains. Further, administration of L. plantarum (RTA 8) was found to ameliorate the psychological (depressive-like, anxiety-like and locomotor behaviour), physiological (tight junction protein and mucin gene expression, levels of catecholamines, serotonin, GABA, BDNF, acetylcholinesterase) and pathological (tissue bio-burden, histopathology) condition of the host, thereby preventing serious infection. The study, thus highlights the potential of using probiotics in modulating various facets of the gut-brain axis, thereby providing multidimensional benefits and improving the holistic health status of the host. newline