Intestinal bacteria found to destroy brain cells

We are talking about the IAA metabolite; it is produced by the family of intestinal bacteria Ruminococcaceae. It affects the death of nerves

cells, which leads to a decrease in cognitive abilities.

The team decided to conduct an experiment tounderstand how this metabolite affects brain function. The authors took old mice and found that with age, the number of Ruminococcaceae bacteria and the metabolite IAA in the body increases.

The metabolite itself binds to the promoter region of the S100A8 gene, then the gene is expressed, and then the formation of apoptotic bodies and the death of nerve cells.

To find out the consequences of IAA entering the brain, the authors of the work orally administered a drug containing this metabolite to young healthy mice and observed the reaction. 

As a result of several behavioral andcognitive tests revealed that exposure to IAA led to a loss of cognitive function: rodents became worse at learning to navigate a maze and recognize objects. The opposite effect was observed when scientists blocked the effect of IAA on microglia in elderly mice: this provoked improvements in memory and spatial learning.  

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