New Evidence of Probiotics Effects on the Brain-Gut Axis

This new study adds weight to the concept of probiotics and the gut microflora implications in the brain-gut axis, or brain-gut communication, a new direction for probiotics research holding promising applications in mental health and the management of stress and anxiety.

2 Sep 2009 --- A pre-clinical study by the team of Prof. Guy Rousseau from the Centre of Biomedicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur, in Montreal (Canada), recently published by the British Journal of Nutrition*, shows the potential of Institut Rosell-Lallemand’s Probio’Stick formula in the prevention of post-myocardial infarction depression in a rat model. This new study adds weight to the concept of probiotics and the gut microflora implications in the brain-gut axis, or brain-gut communication, a new direction for probiotics research holding promising applications in mental health and the management of stress and anxiety.

Guy Rousseau explains: “One of the mechanisms involved in the onset of post-myocardial infarction depression is the release of pro-inflammatory substances that induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in certain regions of the brain. In addition, depression may induce gastrointestinal perturbations that maintain elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, keeping the circle running.” He added: “ We showed that a prophylactic administration of Probio’Stick formula in rats prior to myocardial infarction induction had the ability to reduce apoptosis in certain parts of the brain - the limbic system-. This effect was probably linked to the probiotic’s impact on the inflammatory balance.”

He concluded: “Since the limbic system is implicated in emotions such as depression, this probiotic could potentially diminish post-myocardial infarction depression, paving the way to new directions of research for probiotics.”

Isabelle Champié, Human Nutrition Brand Manager for Institut Rosell-Lallemand commented : “ This pre-clinical trial is a new step in the understanding of Probio’Stick’s interactions and potential in the gut-brain axis, adding weight to a previous human study in chronic stress sufferers**, which showed for the first time the benefits of a probiotic on gastrointestinal symptoms linked to stress. We are very excited by the prospect of this new study and further clinical studies are already planned in this area.”

* Girard SA, Bah TM, Kaloustian S, Lada-Moldovan L, Rondeau I, Tompkins TA, Godbout R, Rousseau G.:    Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum taken in combination reduce the apoptosis propensity in the limbic system after myocardial infarction in a rat model. Br J Nutr. 2009 Jun 29:1-6.

** Diop L., Guillou S., Durand H. : Probiotic food supplement reduces stress-induced gastrointestinal symptoms in volunteers: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial.  Nutrition Research Volume 28, Issue 1, January 2008. Pages 1-5.