Pre‐Gestational intake of Lactobacillus helveticus NS8 has anxiolytic effects in adolescent Sprague Dawley offspring

• Published in: Brain and behavior Vol. 10; no. 9; pp. e01714 - n/a
• Main Authors: Niu, Yunxia, Liang, Shan, Wang, Tao, Hu, Xu, Li, Wei, Wu, Xiaoli, Jin, Feng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.09.2020; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Animal behavior; Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents; antianxiety; Anxiety - drug therapy; Anxiety disorders; Autism; Bacteria; Child development; Consortia; elevated plus maze test; Female; Females; gestation; Lactobacillus helveticus; Male; Maternal & child health; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Microbiota; open field test; Original Research; Pathogens; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Probiotics; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rodents; Schizophrenia; Sex Characteristics; Teenagers; Vagina; Lactobacillus helveticus; antianxiety; open field test; elevated plus maze test; gestation
• ISSN: 2162-3279; 2162-3279
• DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1714

Introduction Adolescence is a period of heightened susceptibility to anxiety disorders. Probiotic supplementation had a positive impact on reducing anxiety. The maternal microbiome plays an important role in child health outcomes and in the establishment of the offspring microbiome. Few studies have investigated the impact of gestational probiotic supplementation on the offspring's anxiety. Methods The present study examined the impact of prenatal Lactobacillus helveticus NS8 supplementation (LAC) on Sprague Dawley rat offspring's anxiety‐like behavior. The behaviors tested in the present study include the elevated plus maze (EPM), the open field test (OFT), and prepulse inhibition (PPI). Analyses of variance were utilized. Results (a) The performance of LAC adolescent rats in the EPM was similar to that in the OFT, both of which reflect that LAC caused an antianxiety effect in adolescent offspring rats and the antianxiety effect without sex differences; (b) LAC did not change performance in PPI and did not change the sex and age differences in PPI; and c. LAC decreased the body mass of rat offspring. Conclusion Lactobacillus helveticus NS8 supplementation during gestation might have a moderate antianxiety effect in both males and females (especially adolescents) and be helpful for avoiding excessive body mass. Pregnancy Lactobacillus helveticus NS8 supplementation might have a moderate antianxiety effect on the offspring rats (especially adolescents) and might be helpful to avoid the excessive body mass of the offspring rats