Akkermansia muciniphila ameliorates depressive disorders in a murine alcohol-LPS (mALPS) model

Food Funct. 2022 Dec 13;13(24):12766-12776. doi: 10.1039/d2fo01478e.

Abstract

Depression is the most common mental disorder in the world. Recently, an increasing number of studies have reported alcohol-related depression. However, there is no simple, efficient, and time-saving alcohol-related depression animal model yet. Based on the fact that people with alcohol addiction often have impaired gastrointestinal (GI) tract health like dysbiosis, which serves as a primary factor to augment lipopolysaccharides (LPS), we first developed a murine alcohol-LPS model (mALPS), with oral gavage of LPS in acute alcohol treated mice, and successfully observed depression-like symptoms. We found that acute alcohol treatment damaged the intestinal barrier and caused dysbiosis, which further increased the translocation of LPS and neuroinflammatory responses (TNF-α and IL-1β) and led to abnormal expression of the depression-related genes, i.e. BDND and IDO, reduced the levels of 5-HT and caused depressive behaviors in mice. Probiotic intervention could improve depressive symptoms without notable adverse effects. Akkermansia muciniphila (AKK), one of the next-generation probiotics, has been widely used for the restoration of the intestinal barrier and reduction of inflammation. Here, we found that AKK significantly ameliorated alcohol-related depressive behaviors in a mALPS model, through enhancing the intestinal barrier and maintaining the homeostasis of the gut microbiota. Furthermore, AKK reduced serum LPS, ameliorated neuroinflammation (TNF-α and IL-1β), normalized the expression of depression-related genes and increased the 5-HT levels in the hippocampus. Our study suggests that AKK supplements will be a promising therapeutic regime for alcohol-associated depression in the future.

MeSH terms

  • Akkermansia*
  • Animals
  • Complementary Therapies* / methods
  • Depressive Disorder* / chemically induced
  • Depressive Disorder* / therapy
  • Dysbiosis / drug therapy
  • Ethanol* / adverse effects
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Mice
  • Probiotics* / therapeutic use
  • Serotonin
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* / genetics
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* / metabolism

Substances

  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Serotonin
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Ethanol

Supplementary concepts

  • Akkermansia muciniphila