Cited by 153Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorProbiotics and Fermented FoodsNeuropeptides and Animal Physiology

Microbial lysate upregulates host oxytocin

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Varian, Bernard J., Poutahidis, Theofilos, DiBenedictis, Brett T., Levkovich, Tatiana, Ibrahim, Yassin, Didyk, Eliska, Shikhman, Lana, Cheung, Harry K. +6 more·2017·Brain Behavior and Immunity

Abstract

Neuropeptide hormone oxytocin has roles in social bonding, energy metabolism, and wound healing contributing to good physical, mental and social health. It was previously shown that feeding of a human commensal microbe Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) is sufficient to up-regulate endogenous oxytocin levels and improve wound healing capacity in mice. Here we show that oral L. reuteri-induced skin wound repair benefits extend to human subjects. Further, dietary supplementation with a sterile lysate of this microbe alone is sufficient to boost systemic oxytocin levels and improve wound repair capacity. Oxytocin-producing cells were found to be increased in the caudal paraventricular nucleus [PVN] of the hypothalamus after feeding of a sterile lysed preparation of L. reuteri, coincident with lowered blood levels of stress hormone corticosterone and more rapid epidermal closure, in mouse models. We conclude that microbe viability is not essential for regulating host oxytocin levels. The results suggest that a peptide or metabolite produced by bacteria may modulate host oxytocin secretion for potential public or personalized health goals.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.11.002

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  • Effects of Lactobacillus on host plasma and hypothalamic oxytocin are dependent on vagal signaling.

    “Interestingly, the effects observed above are dependent on vagal signaling, which blunted the effects of Lactobacillus on host plasma and hypothalamic oxytocin [132,133].”

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Authors
Varian, B. J., Poutahidis, T., DiBenedictis, B. T., Levkovich, T., Ibrahim, Y., Didyk, E., Shikhman, L., Cheung, H. K., Hardas, A., Ricciardi, C. E., Kolandaivelu, K., Veenema, A. H., Alm, E. J., & Erdman, S. E.
Affiliations
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
  • Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR)
  • Boston College (US)
  • University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (US)
  • Broad Institute (US)
Corresponding author
Erdman, Susan E.
Venue
Brain Behavior and Immunity
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-03
Volume
61
Pages
36-49
ISSN
0889-1591 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2547516517
Cited by
153
References
135
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 2
FWCI
13.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Brain Behavior and Immunity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • OpenBU (Boston University) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
National Institutes of Health (P30-ES002109, RO1CA108854, U01 CA164337)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
Keywords
oxytocin, Lactobacillus reuteri, gut microbiota, wound healing, skin wound healing, corticosterone, stress hormones, dietary supplementation, host-microbe interactions, neuropeptide regulation
MeSH terms
Adult, Animals, Corticosterone, Female, Humans, Oxytocin, Skin, Skin Physiological Phenomena, Wound Healing, Up-Regulation, Mice, Knockout, Dietary Supplements, Probiotics, Mice, Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Young Adult

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