Intestinal virus association revealed with stress

Dublin: A study has shown that sub-viruses living in our intestines can play an important role in controlling mental stress.

The discovery strengthens the case for the connection between the gut and the brain to influence people’s behavior and has the potential to lead to new treatments for stress-related conditions.

Previous studies have shown that the composition of these gut microbes changes as a result of stress. These studies focused more on bacteria than on the ‘virome’.

Dr Nathaniel Ritz, from University College Cork, said much was not known about disease states, including effects on virome bacteria and stress-related health effects. This research opens the door to the possibility of reducing the severity of the condition while treating the effects of stress by targeting the virome.

Nathanlin and his colleagues focused their research on a subset of viruses called bacteriophages. These subviruses infect and replicate with bacteria.

In a study of mice carrying these subviruses, the researchers sought to see what changes occurred when they were subjected to chronic social stress (conditions such as solitary confinement or overcrowding in a cage).

The researchers observed that when the mice were exposed to stress, the composition of viruses and bacteria in their guts changed.

Later, when scientists collected viruses from the stomachs of non-stressed mice and transplanted them into stressed mice, it was observed that the mice infected with these viruses had a reduction in depression and anxiety.