Physiology & Behavior最新文献

{"title":"Hyposalivation induced by salivary gland extraction impairs cognitive function in mice","authors":"Zequn Li ,&nbsp;Kairi Hayashi ,&nbsp;Gen Tanabe ,&nbsp;Hiroshi Churei ,&nbsp;Toshiaki Ueno ,&nbsp;Kenji Fueki","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115228","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115228","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hyposalivation affects cognitive function. However, its impact on hippocampus-dependent memory remains unclear. Saliva contains brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is also synthesized in the hippocampus and can pass through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to influence hippocampal plasticity. Therefore, we hypothesized that hyposalivation reduces peripheral BDNF availability, leading to decreased hippocampal BDNF levels and cognitive impairment. In this study, this relationship was investigated using an in vivo model of sialadenectomy-induced hyposalivation. A total of 24 8-week-old male ddY mice were divided into control and extraction (EXT) groups. The EXT group underwent submandibular and sublingual salivary gland extractions, whereas the control group underwent a sham operation. Saliva was collected at baseline (0 weeks) and at 2- and 3-weeks postoperatively. Cognitive function was assessed using the Y-maze, fear conditioning (FC), novel object recognition (NOR), and object location tests (OLT). Anxiety-like behavior was evaluated using the open field test (OFT) and elevated plus-maze (EPM) tests. Hippocampi were collected at 3 weeks post-operation for BDNF quantification using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and its concentration in subregions of the hippocampus was determined by semi-quantitative analysis. Hyposalivation significantly impaired spatial working memory in the Y-maze test and contextual fear memory in the FC, both of which are hippocampus-dependent. NOR showed only a transient deficit at 24 h during the 2-week period (no significant difference in 3-week post-operation), whereas long-term spatial memory measured by the OLT exhibited a persistent 24-h impairment at both 2 and 3 weeks, indicating reduced long-term spatial memory rather than accelerated decay. No significant differences were observed in anxiety-like behavior. Although sialoadenectomy significantly reduced salivary secretion and total salivary BDNF output, the concentration of BDNF in saliva in both groups remained unchanged at 2- and 3-weeks post-operation. However, hippocampal BDNF levels were significantly lower in the EXT group than in the control group. These findings suggest that hyposalivation may selectively impair hippocampus-related spatial memory without affecting recognition memory or anxiety-related behaviors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 115228"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145990305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sexual activity before exercise influences physiological response and sports performance in high-level trained men athletes","authors":"Diego Fernández-Lázaro ,&nbsp;Manuel Garrosa ,&nbsp;Gema Santamaría ,&nbsp;Enrique Roche ,&nbsp;José María Izquierdo ,&nbsp;Jesús Seco-Calvo ,&nbsp;Juan Mielgo-Ayuso","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115203","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115203","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The influence of sexual activity prior to exercise on athletic performance remains controversial. While pre-competition abstinence is commonly advised, scientific evidence on its physiological impact is limited and inconsistent.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A randomized crossover study was conducted in 21 well-trained male athletes (age 22 ± 1 y) to compare the acute effects of masturbation-induced orgasm versus sexual abstinence performed 30 min before testing. Each participant completed an incremental cycling test and an isometric handgrip strength test under both conditions. Blood samples were analyzed for muscle damage (CK, LDH, Mb), inflammatory (CRP, IL-6), and hormonal (testosterone, cortisol, LH) markers.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared with abstinence, the post-masturbation condition resulted in a longer exercise duration (+3.2%, <em>p</em>&lt; 0.01) and higher heart rate (<em>p</em>&lt; 0.001), accompanied by a small increase in mean handgrip strength (<em>p</em>&lt; 0.05). Lower plasma LDH levels (<em>p</em>&lt; 0.001) indicated reduced muscle stress. Testosterone and cortisol concentrations were significantly higher (both <em>p</em>&lt; 0.001), whereas inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6) showed no significant change.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Masturbation 30 min before exercise elicited mild sympathetic and hormonal activation without detrimental effects on performance or muscle damage. These findings suggest that pre-exercise sexual activity does not impair athletic capacity in trained men, challenging the long-standing myth of mandatory abstinence before competition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 115203"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145752085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A larger amount of palatable food is needed to provide stress relief during Western diet-induced obesity","authors":"Ivanka Rainer ,&nbsp;Leah Hershberger ,&nbsp;Megan Pedicini ,&nbsp;Madison Davis ,&nbsp;Yvonne M. Ulrich-Lai","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many individuals eat highly palatable foods to cope with stress, and this so-called ‘comfort’ feeding occurs to a greater extent in people who are overweight and obese. To study this relationship, we previously characterized a limited sucrose intake (LSI) paradigm that reduces hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis stress responses in normal weight rats, but not in those with Western diet-induced obesity (DIO). The present work tests the hypothesis that a larger volume of sucrose drink recovers effective HPA blunting during obesity. Time-limited sucrose access, in which sucrose was offered in an unlimited volume for 30 min twice-daily to chow-fed lean and Western DIO rats for 2 weeks, resulted in greater sucrose drink intake than that allowed in the LSI paradigm (4 ml/twice-daily session) and reduced post-stress plasma corticosterone relative to water controls in both lean and DIO rats. Likewise, when given volume-limited access to a larger sucrose volume (6 ml vs. the standard 4 ml per twice-daily session) the 6 ml volume reduced post-stress plasma corticosterone relative to water controls, in both lean and DIO rats, whereas the 4 ml volume was only effective in lean rats. These data replicate that the typical LSI sucrose volume does not produce effective stress-blunting during Western DIO, and extend this to show that larger sucrose volumes, given via either time- or volume-limited access paradigms, recovers this effect. This suggests that stress-related eaters with obesity may require larger amounts of palatable foods to maintain adequate stress relief.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 115226"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145949100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) alkaloids influence on cardiopulmonary measures and high-fat diet-induced weight gain in mice","authors":"Spencer E. Fields ,&nbsp;Arul Elango ,&nbsp;Elif Ece Akgun ,&nbsp;Adrianna M. Sweeney ,&nbsp;Eileen Carry ,&nbsp;Ariane Vasilatis ,&nbsp;Emma Bernstein ,&nbsp;James E. Simon ,&nbsp;Qingli Wu ,&nbsp;Nicholas T. Bello","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115231","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Kratom (<em>Mitragyna speciosa</em>) has been marketed and used for a variety of health-promoting applications. Kratom contains an expansive bioactive alkaloid profile with mitragynine (MTG) as the most abundant. Individual responses to kratom have been reported, but the role of obesity as a factor influencing the effects of kratom has not been studied. First, we used a standardized kratom extract (KE) to determine the cardiopulmonary differences with KE (290, 500 mg/kg) and matched MTG (18 mg/kg) in high-fat diet (HFD; 45% Fat) induced obese male C57Bl/6 J mice. As measured by whole-body plethysmography, acute oral dosing revealed an approximate 15% reduction in the respiratory rate with all doses of KE and MTG. Unlike a well-known respiratory depressant, alprazolam, KE and MTG did not reduce minute ventilation (MvB; ml/min). As measured by volume-pressure recordings, KE 500 mg/kg produced an approximate 12% reduction in heart rate in normal weight mice. Second, we determined whether daily oral dosing KE (50, 150 mg/kg) prevented HFD-induced weight gain. Daily 150 mg/kg resulted in an increase in body weight gain (∼1 g) in the last week after 21 days of dosing. After 4 days following kratom cessation, there was reduced distance traveled in the KE 150 mg/kg compared with the KE 50 mg/kg group in an elevated plus maze test. These findings demonstrate a dose-dependent-increase in weight gain with KE, suggesting further investigation is needed to delineate kratom alkaloid effects on metabolism and body weight control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 115231"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145994466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impacts of reproductive state and social environment on glucocorticoid concentrations in female Rwenzori Angolan colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis ruwenzorii)","authors":"Samantha M. Stead ,&nbsp;Phoebe Edwards ,&nbsp;Rudy Boonstra ,&nbsp;Rupert Palme ,&nbsp;Edward Mujjuzi ,&nbsp;Julie A. Teichroeb","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115240","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115240","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Glucocorticoids (GCs) are hormones that are secreted in response to energetic demands, allowing animals to cope with internal and external challenges. We investigated the factors impacting fecal GC metabolite (FGM) concentrations (a proxy of blood GC concentrations) in a population of Rwenzori Angolan colobus monkeys (<em>Colobus angolensis ruwenzorii</em>) in Uganda. These monkeys live in a multi-level society with three tiers of non-random association: the core unit (individuals that feed, rest, and travel together), the clan (core units that associate preferentially), and the band (core units that share a home range). We used linear mixed-effect models to assess the impact of reproductive state, fruit availability, and core unit composition on FGM concentrations of reproductive females. We found that FGM concentrations increased over the course of pregnancy and decreased over the course of lactation. There was a quadratic relationship between FGM concentrations and core unit size, with FGM concentrations being lower for mothers living in intermediate-sized core units compared to those living in smaller and larger core units. This aligns with previous work on this population showing that individuals living in intermediate-sized core units expend the least energy travelling. Future work should investigate the impact of FGM concentrations on infant growth and development in this subspecies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 115240"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146047159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does caffeine alter preference or patterns of voluntary ethanol consumption in Swiss male mice?","authors":"Beatriz Nunes Petribu,&nbsp;Karina Possa Abrahao ,&nbsp;Maria Lucia Oliveira Souza-Formigoni","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115241","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115241","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The co-consumption of alcohol (ethanol) and caffeine, commonly found in alcoholic beverages mixed with energy drinks (AmED), has been linked to increased alcohol intake and heightened risk-taking behaviors. However, the effects of this combination under voluntary drinking conditions in animal models remain poorly understood. The present study investigated whether caffeine modulates ethanol intake in Swiss male mice, an outbred strain with inherent low ethanol preference. Mice were exposed to a two-bottle choice Intermittent Overnight Drinking (IOD) protocol for 12 sessions. Each mouse had access to water and either ethanol (10%), caffeine (0.75 mg/mL), or a combination of both. Using lickometer devices, we analyzed drinking microstructure, including total intake, latency to first lick and bout, and temporal licking patterns. Caffeine and water were consumed in similar amounts and followed comparable circadian patterns, whereas both ethanol and ethanol + caffeine solutions were consistently avoided. Thus, in Swiss male mice, caffeine did not modify ethanol intake. These findings emphasize the importance of strain-specific studies for a better understanding of the behavioral interaction between alcohol and caffeine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 115241"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146047108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sweet-liker phenotype in weight loss interventions: Correspondence on gender-sensitive and culturally tailored strategies","authors":"Muhammad Zulfikar ,&nbsp;Herul Wahyudin ,&nbsp;Ma'rifatin Indah Kholili ,&nbsp;Novi Rosita Rahmawati ,&nbsp;Ida Dwi Lestari","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115230","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 115230"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145990394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social buffering of stress in rats: a multisystem meta-analysis and translational framework for stress resilience","authors":"Alexey Sarapultsev ,&nbsp;Maria Komelkova ,&nbsp;Evgenii Gusev ,&nbsp;Desheng Hu ,&nbsp;Vladimir Naumenko","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115242","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115242","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Social context modulates stress physiology and resilience, yet preclinical rat paradigms vary widely in stressor type, timing of social exposure, contact modality, and endpoint definitions. We synthesized rat studies to quantify directional and, where feasible, standardized effect-size evidence for social buffering and to outline translational implications.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched (2008–2025) for in vivo rat studies comparing conspecific (pair/group housing or conspecific presence) versus solitary conditions across validated stress and PTSD-like paradigms (e.g., fear conditioning/extinction, CUS/CMS, social defeat, predator threat). Data extraction and reporting followed PRISMA 2020 and SYRCLE guidance. Synthesis followed a two-tier approach: (i) all eligible contrasts were direction-coded as beneficial, neutral/mixed, or detrimental under conspecific conditions based strictly on reported statistical contrasts; and (ii) for domains with sufficient coded contrasts, the proportion of beneficial comparisons was estimated with exact binomial tests and 95% confidence intervals. Standardized mean-difference meta-analysis (Hedges’ g; random-effects REML) was conducted only for predefined outcomes with adequate numerical reporting.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Forty studies met inclusion criteria, yielding 89 extracted comparisons. Overall, 69/89 comparisons (≈78%) favored conspecific conditions. Domain-level directional syntheses supported predominance of beneficial outcomes for hormonal (0.72; 95% CI 0.50–1.00; <em>p</em> = 0.048) and neurotrophic/plasticity markers (0.89; 95% CI 0.57–1.00; <em>p</em> = 0.020), whereas inflammatory/oxidative outcomes were more variable (0.71; 95% CI 0.39–0.94; <em>p</em> = 0.227). For predefined behavioral endpoints with sufficient data, effect-size pooling showed a large reduction in conditioned fear (Hedges’ <em>g</em> = -1.22 [-1.53; -0.91], <em>p</em> &lt; 0.0001).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Social buffering is robust at behavioral and neuroendocrine levels and often aligns with neurotrophic/plasticity markers, while peripheral immune/redox readouts are more context-dependent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 115242"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146087078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Desulfovibrio vulgaris trigger depression-like behavior in mice through dual disruption of colonic homeostasis and fatty acid metabolism","authors":"Linlu Peng ,&nbsp;Xuguang Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiaojiao Tian ,&nbsp;Jiangfeng Wen ,&nbsp;Ruijuan Qiu ,&nbsp;Yiwei Zheng ,&nbsp;Chunlin Chen ,&nbsp;Hao Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115232","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Objective&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Desulfovibrio is a genus of sulfate-reducing bacteria residing in the gut, and growing evidence has implicated it in the pathogenesis of depression. However, the exact association and intrinsic mechanisms between the two remain unelucidated. This study aims to investigate whether Desulfovibrio induces depression-like behaviors in mice via the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis and to preliminarily elucidate the underlying mechanisms.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;A two-week Desulfovibrio-induced mouse model of depression was established in this study. Based on preliminary experimental results, a Desulfovibrio bacterial suspension concentration of 1 × 10^8 CFU/ml, which demonstrated a more pronounced impact on depression-like behaviors in mice, was selected to investigate the intervention effect of Desulfovibrio on depression and its underlying mechanisms. Behavioral changes in mice were assessed using the sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test (OFT), tail suspension test (TST), and forced swim test (FST) to evaluate the antidepressant effects. The abundance of Desulfovibrio in mouse intestines was quantified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR). Targeted metabolomic analysis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in mice was performed using GC–MS. Targeted metabolomic analysis of arachidonic acid (AA) in mice was conducted using LC-MS. Additionally, histopathological changes in mouse colon tissue were observed via HE staining.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Q-PCR analysis revealed a significant increase in the abundance of Desulfovibrio in the intestinal tract of mice in the model group, indicating successful colonization of Desulfovibrio in these animals. Behavioral results indicated that intervention with Desulfovibrio significantly induced behavioral phenotypes of anhedonia, reduced spontaneous activity, and behavioral despair in mice, demonstrating its direct role in promoting depression-like phenotypes. Histological findings revealed disordered colonic gland structures, epithelial damage, and increased inflammatory cell infiltration in the model group, suggesting impaired intestinal barrier function. Metabolomic analysis showed that Desulfovibrio intervention reshaped the serum short-chain fatty acid profile, with butyrate decreased and propionate increased. Concurrently, arachidonic acid metabolism shifted toward a pro-inflammatory state, evidenced by elevated levels of pro-inflammatory mediators such as Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and Leukotriene B4 (LTB4), while the anti-inflammatory substance Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) was reduced.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Desulfovibrio trigger depression-like behaviors in mice by disrupting the colonic barrier structure, perturbing the short-chain fatty acid metabolic profile, and activating the pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid metabolic pathway. To further explore the relationship between gut microbiota and the onset of depression, depress","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 115232"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145998867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lactobacillus acidophilus exerts neuroprotective effects in MPTP mice: potential links to the gut microbiota and GLP-1","authors":"Liujing Yang ,&nbsp;Tongtong Guo ,&nbsp;Yubin Wei ,&nbsp;Zheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Yan Sun ,&nbsp;Ning Yan ,&nbsp;Songtao Ding ,&nbsp;Lin Jiang ,&nbsp;Handeng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2026.115229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous studies have shown that Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) improves gut microbiota, which is believed to play a role in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis by modulating neuroinflammation. Therefore, we investigated the role of LA in mice with PD induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). To explore microbial-based interventions for Parkinson's disease (PD), we examined whether Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) protects against neurodegeneration via the gut-brain axis. In MPTP-induced PD mice, LA treatment improved motor function, increased TH+ neurons, and suppressed neuroinflammation. Crucially, LA restored gut microbiota ecology and enhanced the gut-brain signaling pathway, evidenced by increased colonic GLP-1/FFAR2/FFAR3 and brain GLP-1 receptor levels, alongside improved gut barrier integrity. Our findings demonstrate that LA alleviates PD pathology by concurrently targeting the gut microbiota and the GLP-1 receptor pathway, underscoring a viable gut-brain axis strategy for neuroprotection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"307 ","pages":"Article 115229"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145990237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}