Bacterial infection causes stress-induced memory dysfunction in mice -- Gareau et al. -- Gut

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http://gut.bmj.com/content/early/2010/10/21/gut.2009.202515

*Results* No behavioural abnormalities were observed, either at the

height of infection (10 days) or following bacterial clearance

(30 days), in /C rodentium/-infected C57BL/6 mice. When infected mice

were exposed to acute stress, however, memory dysfunction was apparent

after infection (10 days and 30 days). Memory dysfunction was prevented

by daily treatment of infected mice with probiotics. Memory was impaired

in germ-free mice, with or without exposure to stress, in contrast to

conventionally reared, control Swiss-Webster mice with an intact

intestinal microbiota.

*Conclusions* The intestinal microbiota influences the ability to form

memory. Memory dysfunction occurs in infected mice exposed to acute

stress, while in the germ-free setting memory is altered at baseline.

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