White Stephen W, Callahan Haylie, Smith Sequioa J, Padilla Felicia M
Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341, USA.
Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341, USA.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2024 Dec;245:173880. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173880. Epub 2024 Sep 12.
Anxiety disorders represent one of the most common and debilitating illnesses worldwide. However, the development of novel therapeutics for anxiety disorders has lagged compared to other mental illnesses. A growing body of research suggests the gut microbiota plays a role in the etiopathology of anxiety disorders and may, therefore, serve as a novel target for their treatment through the use of probiotics. The use of dietary supplements like probiotics is increasing and their interaction with pharmacotherapies is not well understood. Utilizing the chick social-separation stress test, the primary aim of this study was to evaluate the commercially-available multi-strain probiotic found in VSL#3 for potential anxiolytic-like and/or antidepressant-like effects in the stress-vulnerable Black Australorp genetic line. A secondary aim was to evaluate the interaction between probiotics and the SSRI fluoxetine. Animals were treated with either saline, probiotics, fluoxetine, or probiotics + fluoxetine for 8 days prior to exposure to a 90-min isolation stressor that produces both a panic-like (i.e., anxiety-like) state followed by a state of behavioral despair (i.e., depression-like). The 8-day probiotic regimen produced anxiolytic-like effects but did not attenuate behavioral despair. Fluoxetine failed to significantly alter behavior in either of the two phases. Moreover, the combination of fluoxetine with probiotics attenuated the anxiolytic-like effects of probiotics. The fluoxetine + probiotics combination had no effect on behavioral despair. The results of the current study align with other preclinical studies and some clinical trials suggesting probiotics may offer beneficial effects on anxiety. Investigations examining the anxiolytic-like mechanism of probiotics are needed before any conclusions can be made. Additionally, as the use of probiotics becomes more popular, research on the interactions between probiotic-microbiota and psychotropic medications is necessary.
焦虑症是全球最常见且使人衰弱的疾病之一。然而，与其他精神疾病相比，用于治疗焦虑症的新型疗法的开发一直滞后。越来越多的研究表明，肠道微生物群在焦虑症的病因病理中发挥作用，因此，通过使用益生菌，它可能成为治疗焦虑症的一个新靶点。像益生菌这样的膳食补充剂的使用正在增加，但其与药物疗法的相互作用尚未得到充分了解。本研究的主要目的是利用雏鸡社会隔离应激试验，评估市售的VSL#3中含有的多菌株益生菌对易受应激影响的黑奥平顿遗传系鸡是否具有潜在的抗焦虑样和/或抗抑郁样作用。次要目的是评估益生菌与选择性5-羟色胺再摄取抑制剂（SSRI）氟西汀之间的相互作用。在暴露于90分钟的隔离应激源之前，动物分别用生理盐水、益生菌、氟西汀或益生菌+氟西汀处理8天，该应激源会产生类似恐慌（即类似焦虑）的状态，随后是行为绝望（即类似抑郁）的状态。为期8天的益生菌治疗方案产生了抗焦虑样作用，但并未减轻行为绝望。氟西汀在两个阶段均未显著改变行为。此外，氟西汀与益生菌联合使用减弱了益生菌的抗焦虑样作用。氟西汀+益生菌组合对行为绝望没有影响。本研究结果与其他临床前研究和一些临床试验一致，表明益生菌可能对焦虑有益。在得出任何结论之前，需要对益生菌的抗焦虑样机制进行研究。此外 , 随着益生菌的使用越来越普遍，有必要对益生菌-微生物群与精神药物之间的相互作用进行研究。
