Gut microbiota play a role in regulating mental disorders, but the mechanism by which gut microbiota regulate brain function remains unclear. Gram negative and positive gut bacteria release membrane-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), which function in microbiota-host intercellular communication. In the present study, we investigated whether
Lactobacillus plantarum
derived EVs (
L
-EVs) could have a role in regulating neuronal function and stress-induced depressive-like behaviors. HT22 cells treated with the stress hormone glucocorticoid (GC; corticosterone) had reduced expression of
Bdnf
and
Sirt1
, whereas
L
-EV treatment reversed GC-induced decreased expression of
Bdnf
and
Sirt1
. The siRNA-mediated knockdown of
Sirt1
in HT22 cells decreased
Bdnf4
, a splicing variant of
Bdnf
, and
Creb
expression, suggesting that Sirt1 plays a role in
L
-EV-induced increase of BDNF and CREB expression. Mice exposed to restraint for 2-h daily for 14 days (CRST) exhibited depressive-like behaviors, and these CRST-treated mice had reduced expression of
Bdnf
and
Nt4/5
in the hippocampus. In contrast,
L
-EV injection prior to each restraint treatment blocked the reduced expression of
Bdnf
and
Nt4/5
, and stress-induced depressive-like behaviors. Furthermore,
L
-EV treatment in CRST-treated mice also rescued the reduced expression of
Bdnf
, and blocked stress-induced depressive-like behaviors. These results suggest that
Lactobacillus
derived EVs can change the expression of neurotropic factors in the hippocampus and afford antidepressant-like effects in mice with stress-induced depression.