Human Gut Microbiome Composition is Associated with Perceived Stress and Cortisol
Abstract
Recent research on the gut microbiome is calling attention to the role that the microbiome-gut-brain axis (MGBA) plays in influencing behavior. One particularly exciting, yet understudied, function of the MGBA is that alterations to the microbiome can increase stress susceptibility through increasing psychological vulnerability. While this notion is interesting, it remains largely unexplored in humans likely owing to the complex, multidisciplinary approach required to provide evidence for such a hypothesis. The current study sought to shed light on this uncertainty through connecting measures of stress and cognition in humans with gut microbiome composition. Seventeen male participants (mean age = 24, SD = 4.2) were tested on emotion assessments from the NIH Toolbox and on a battery of cognitive tests (Joggle, LLC). Participants also provided a saliva sample and a blood sample for biomarkers of stress (cortisol and sAA) and inflammation (IL-6, IL-1β, CRP). Fecal swab samples were provided for an analysis of gut microbiome composition using the MoBio BioStic kit following the manufacturer’s protocol. We found that gut microbiome diversity (Shannon diversity) was significantly negatively correlated to cortisol levels (r = -0.70, p = 0.003) and perceived stress levels (r = -0.51, p = 0.04). Random forest regression model revealed several specific taxa that correlated with cortisol and perceived stress. Surprisingly, and in contrast to rodent research, our markers of inflammation did not relate to either stress or microbiota measures. Findings from this study can provide a foundation for targeted probiotic-based therapies and directed autogenic therapy aimed stress regulation.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Robert Smith, Dr. Jose V. Lopez, Dr. Jaime Tartar
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Shermany Library
Start Date
4-5-2019 1:00 PM
End Date
4-5-2019 5:00 PM
Human Gut Microbiome Composition is Associated with Perceived Stress and Cortisol
Alvin Shermany Library
Recent research on the gut microbiome is calling attention to the role that the microbiome-gut-brain axis (MGBA) plays in influencing behavior. One particularly exciting, yet understudied, function of the MGBA is that alterations to the microbiome can increase stress susceptibility through increasing psychological vulnerability. While this notion is interesting, it remains largely unexplored in humans likely owing to the complex, multidisciplinary approach required to provide evidence for such a hypothesis. The current study sought to shed light on this uncertainty through connecting measures of stress and cognition in humans with gut microbiome composition. Seventeen male participants (mean age = 24, SD = 4.2) were tested on emotion assessments from the NIH Toolbox and on a battery of cognitive tests (Joggle, LLC). Participants also provided a saliva sample and a blood sample for biomarkers of stress (cortisol and sAA) and inflammation (IL-6, IL-1β, CRP). Fecal swab samples were provided for an analysis of gut microbiome composition using the MoBio BioStic kit following the manufacturer’s protocol. We found that gut microbiome diversity (Shannon diversity) was significantly negatively correlated to cortisol levels (r = -0.70, p = 0.003) and perceived stress levels (r = -0.51, p = 0.04). Random forest regression model revealed several specific taxa that correlated with cortisol and perceived stress. Surprisingly, and in contrast to rodent research, our markers of inflammation did not relate to either stress or microbiota measures. Findings from this study can provide a foundation for targeted probiotic-based therapies and directed autogenic therapy aimed stress regulation.
