Effect of Psychobiotic on Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Grant number: 17/01157-1
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): May 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Cooperation agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal researcher: Katia Sivieri
• Grantee: Ana Luiza Rocha Faria Duque
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/26645-1 - Impact of synbiotic on gut microbiota and social behaviors associated with neurodevelopmental disorders., BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Psychobiotics are probiotics and/or prebiotics that, when ingested in appropriate quantities, yield positive psychiatric effects in psychopathology. Recent studies have shown that psychobiotics administration may be an effective therapy for the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The objective of this project is to evaluate the effect of psychobiotics in ASD using the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME®) and animal model. This work will be carried out in 3 steps. Step 1: the survival of probiotic and synbiotic will be evaluated under in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions. The best viability results will be applied in Step 2. Step 2: the treatments selected in the previous step will be evaluated on the composition and activity of the colon microbial population of children with ASD using SHIME®. Samples of the SHIME® reactors will be evaluated for the composition of the gut microbiota based on culture-dependent (plating) and culture-independent methods (PCR-DGGE, real-time PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing) and to microbial metabolism (NH4+ and short-chain fatty acids). Treatment that positively modulates the gut microbiota will be selected for Step 3. Step 3: to evaluate the effect of the treatment selected in Step 2 germ-free mice C57BI6/J will be used. The composition of the gut microbiota will be analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the evaluation of behavioral abnormalities related to autism will be performed according to the tests of reciprocal social interaction, sociability and preference for social novelty, and open field. (AU)