Anti-stress vaccine
The vaccine protected the brain of rats from the effects of stress
Natalia Pelezneva, Naked Science
Scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder have managed to reduce the harmful effects of stress on the brain of laboratory rats with the help of injections based on bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae are non–pathogenic microorganisms living in the soil. If the remedy proves to be effective for the human brain, it can be used in the therapy of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study is published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
Properties of the bacterium Mycobacterium vaccae, originally isolated from mud and cow dung, is being investigated in relation to many areas of medicine. A vaccine based on this bacterium is proposed to be used in the treatment of tuberculosis, asthma, psoriasis and eczema. Earlier studies by the authors of the new work showed that an inactivated ("killed") vaccine from this bacterium significantly reduced anxiety stress reactions in small mice that were placed in a cage with a large aggressive male.
In a new paper, scientists have investigated exactly how the vaccine reduces the dangerous effects of stress on the body. Male laboratory rats were given three doses of the vaccine at weekly intervals. After that, scientists found that the content of interleukin 4 in the hippocampus of rodents significantly increased – this compound blocks some inflammatory processes in the brain.
The rats were then subjected to stress with several electric shocks. Animals that received the vaccine were found to have lower levels of the HMGB1 protein (amphoterin), which can be released from damaged cells and bind to the TLR4 innate immunity receptor, causing inflammation. On the contrary, the level of the "protective" protein CD200R1, which blocks inflammatory processes, was higher than normal in rats. Vaccinated rodents behaved more calmly after electric shocks than animals from the control group.
The effect of the vaccine on CD200R1 levels in the hippocampus (HCC – before the stress test, IS - after) / © Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
According to the researchers, it is the anti–inflammatory activity of the Mycobacterium vaccae-based drug that can make it a reliable remedy against post-traumatic stress disorder and affective disorders - depressive and bipolar. All these disorders are associated with inflammation affecting brain cells. By weakening these processes, the vaccine will help to cope with the symptoms of disorders – mood swings, suicidal thoughts, memory disorders. However, the development of a drug for humans will begin only if the results of a new study are confirmed for human brain cells.
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