Chronic helminth infection perturbs the gut-brain axis, promotes neuropathology, and alters behavior

Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Giacomin, Paul R.;Kraeuter, Ann Katrin;Albornoz, Eduardo A.;Jin, Shuting;Bengsston, Mia;Gordon, Richard;Woodruff, Trent M.;Urich, Tim;Sarnyai, Zoltán;Soares Magalhães, Ricardo J.
Paul GiacominZoltan Sarnyai
Abstract

Helminth infections in children are associated with impaired cognitive development; however, the biological mechanisms for this remain unclear. Using a murine model of gastrointestinal helminth infection, we demonstrate that early-life exposure to helminths promotes local and systemic inflammatory responses and transient changes in the gastrointestinal microbiome. Behavioral and cognitive analyses performed 9-months postinfection revealed deficits in spatial recognition memory and an anxiety-like behavioral phenotype in worm-infected mice, which was associated with neuropathology and increased microglial activation within the brain. This study demonstrates a previously unrecognized mechanism through which helminth infections may influence cognitive function, via perturbations in the gut-immune-brain axis.

Journal

Journal of Infectious Diseases

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Volume

218

ISBN/ISSN

1537-6613

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Issue

9

Pages Count

6

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Publisher

Oxford University Press

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EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.1093/infdis/jiy092