Probiotic Escherichia coli Ameliorates Antibiotic-Associated Anxiety Responses in Mice

Abstract

Despite the beneficial actions of antibiotics against bacterial infections, the use of antibiotics is a crucial etiological factor influencing microbial dysbiosis-associated adverse outcomes in human health. Based on the assumption that gut microbial dysbiosis can provoke behavioral or psychological disorders, the present study evaluated anxiety-linked behavioral changes in a mouse model of streptomycin-induced dysbiosis. Measuring anxiety-like behavior using the light–dark box and elevated plus maze tests indicated that streptomycin treatment caused acute anxiety in mice. As an intervention for dysbiosis-associated distress, the probiotic strain Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) was evaluated for its effects on streptomycin-induced behavioral changes in mice. EcN supplementation persistently ameliorated anxiety responses in mice with streptomycin-induced dysbiosis. As an outcome of anxiety, body weight changes were marginally affected by antibiotic treatment. However, mice supplemented with EcN displayed acute retardation of body weight gain, since EcN is known to reduce food intake and increase energy expenditure. Taken together, EcN treatment prominently counteracted streptomycin-induced anxiety in mice, with the metabolically beneficial retardation of body weight gain. The present model simulates psychological disorders in antibiotic users. As a promising intervention, EcN treatment can facilitate psychological relief under conditions of dysbiotic stress by blocking the pathologic gut–brain circuit.

Colitis-associated intestinal microbiota regulates brain glycine and host behavior in mice

“…Thus, we aimed to mimic A. muciniphila overproliferation in C57BL/6 mice using vancomycin, as it was previously shown to elevate Akkermansia 41 . At the same time, this antibiotic is known for occasional strong outbreaks of Escherichia coli proliferation, which might also affect behavior [42][43][44] . We have shown previously that E. coli found in our in-house colony of C57BL/6 is particularly sensitive to rifampicin 45 , so we treated C57BL/6 mice with a combination of vancomycin and rifampicin (VR).…”

Colitis-associated intestinal microbiota regulates brain glycine and host behavior in mice

“…Thus, we aimed to mimic A. muciniphila overproliferation in C57BL/6 mice using vancomycin, as it was previously shown to elevate Akkermansia (Ray et al, 2020). At the same time, this antibiotic is known for occasional strong outbreaks of Escherichia coli proliferation, which might also affect behavior (Jang et al, 2018; Kim et al, 2020; Park et al, 2021). We have shown previously that E. coli found in our in-house colony of C57BL/6 is particularly sensitive to rifampicin (Borisova et al, 2020a), so we treated C57BL/6 mice with a combination of vancomycin and rifampicin (VR).…”

Sex-dependent differences in behavioral and immunological responses to antibiotic and bacteriophage administration in mice

“…Although the authors of that report also did not take into account differences between animals of both sexes, they observed that streptomycin treatment significantly increased anxiety in mice in the light-dark box test and in the elevated plus-maze test. Again, they also suggested a dysbiosis of the gut microbiome as a potential cause of the observed disturbances ( 27 ). The long-term effects of the low-dose penicillin intake by pregnant mice on these animals and their offspring shortly after the birth were also studied ( 28 ).…”