Combination of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 reduces post-myocardial infarction depression symptoms and restores intestinal permeability in a rat model

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 107; no. 12; pp. 1793 - 1799
• Main Authors: Arseneault-Bréard, Jessica, Rondeau, Isabelle, Gilbert, Kim, Girard, Stéphanie-Anne, Tompkins, Thomas A., Godbout, Roger, Rousseau, Guy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 28-06-2012
• Subjects: Animals; Avoidance Learning; Behavior, Animal; Bifidobacterium; Bifidobacterium longum; Biological and medical sciences; Coronary Occlusion; Depression - drug therapy; Depression - etiology; Dextrans - metabolism; Digestive system; Disease Models, Animal; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate - analogs & derivatives; Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart attacks; Interpersonal Relations; Intestinal Diseases - drug therapy; Intestines - pathology; Lactobacillus helveticus; Mental depression; Microbiology; Myocardial infarction; Myocardial Infarction - complications; Myocardial Infarction - drug therapy; Myocardial Infarction - psychology; Permeability; Probiotics; Probiotics - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rodents; Social behavior; Swimming; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Myocardial infarction; Probiotics; Intestinal barrier; Depression; Animal model; Rat; Cardiovascular disease; Bifidobacterium longum; Limbic system; Myocardial disease; Actinomycetales; Improvement; Bacteria; Lactobacillaceae; Mood disorder; Probiotic; Lactobacillus helveticus; Actinomycetaceae; Digestive system; Rodentia; Gut; Permeability; Coronary heart disease; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Actinomycetes; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511005137

Myocardial infarction (MI) in rats is accompanied by apoptosis in the limbic system and a behavioural syndrome similar to models of depression. We have already shown that probiotics can reduce post-MI apoptosis and designed the present study to determine if probiotics can also prevent post-MI depressive behaviour. We also tested the hypothesis that probiotics achieve their central effects through changes in the intestinal barrier. MI was induced in anaesthetised rats via 40-min transient occlusion of the left anterior coronary artery. Sham rats underwent the same surgical procedure without actual coronary occlusion. For 7 d before MI and between the seventh post-MI day and euthanasia, half the MI and sham rats were given one billion live bacterial cells of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 per d dissolved in water, while the remaining animals received only the vehicle (maltodextrin). Depressive behaviour was evaluated 2 weeks post-MI in social interaction, forced swimming and passive avoidance step-down tests. Intestinal permeability was evaluated by oral administration with fluorescein isothiocyanate–dextran, 4 h before euthanasia. MI rats displayed less social interaction and impaired performance in the forced swimming and passive avoidance step-down tests compared to the sham controls (P < 0·05). Probiotics reversed the behavioural effects of MI (P < 0·05), but did not alter the behaviour of sham rats. Intestinal permeability was increased in MI rats and reversed by probiotics. In conclusion, L. helveticus R0052 and B. longum R0175 combination interferes with the development of post-MI depressive behaviour and restores intestinal barrier integrity in MI rats.