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Diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain: In stressful phases, the intestines can sometimes make themselves felt. But certain viruses in this organ could possibly also be used the other way around - and help regulate stress. At least that's what a study published in the journal Nature Microbiology suggests. It was carried out on mice, but according to the researchers it could also contribute to a better understanding in humans.
"Although the bacteria in the intestine are increasingly being researched, the way in which the virome interacts with the bacteria and how they influence stress-related health and disease is largely unexplored," said first author Nathaniel Ritz, according to a statement. “Our research focuses on this and shows a connection between stress-related behaviors and the intestinal bacteriome and virome.” The virome could potentially be used specifically to treat and reduce the effects of stress.
The group from the SFI Research Center at University College Cork carried out experiments with mice, exposing the animals to different stressful situations in different experiments. In one experiment, for example, the animals were alternately exposed to another mouse for 20 days, which triggered an attack or submission posture - or they were kept in a small area with many other mice.
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Finally, the group tested whether these changes were causally related to stress-related behavioral or physiological outcomes. To do this, they took viruses from the feces of non-stressed animals. They then exposed these mice to chronic stress - and then transplanted the viruses from the feces that they had taken before the stress situation. The researchers then exposed the animals to chronic stress again and ten days later they carried out behavioral tests on the animals.
Control mice, which were given a replacement solution without fecal virome, also underwent the same procedure. It turned out that these mice were more stressed than those that had previously been given the virome. According to the researchers, the transfer of the fecal virome protected against stress-related behavioral consequences, and some changes even regressed.
The research team therefore believes that understanding the biological consequences of chronic stress offers potential for the development of alternative, new therapies for stress-related disorders.
"This important research represents an advance in the development of targeted virome therapies that reduce the effects of stress through safer therapeutic interventions," said lead author John Cryan. However, it should be borne in mind that these are studies on mice. Research will only show whether the potential can also be found in people.
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