Examining the Role of Microbiota in Emotional Behavior: Antibiotic Treatment Exacerbates Anxiety in High Anxiety-Prone Male Rats.

ABSTRACT: Intestinal microbiota are essential for healthy gastrointestinal function and also broadly influence brain function and behavior, in part, through changes in immune function. Gastrointestinal disorders are highly comorbid with psychiatric disorders, although biological mechanisms linking these disorders are poorly understood. The present study utilized rats bred for distinct emotional behavior phenotypes to examine relationships between emotionality, the microbiome, and immune markers. Prior work showed that Low Novelty Responder (LR) rats exhibit high levels of anxiety- and depression-related behaviors as well as myriad neurobiological differences compared to High Novelty Responders (HRs). Here, we hypothesized that the divergent HR/LR phenotypes are accompanied by changes in fecal microb

SUBMITTER: Glover ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7965353 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature