The Association of the Oral Microbiota with the Effects of Acid Stress Induced by an Increase of Brain Lactate in Schizophrenia Patients
Wirginia Krzyściak,
Paulina Karcz,
Beata Bystrowska,
Marta Szwajca,
Amira Bryll,
Natalia Śmierciak,
Anna Ligęzka,
Aleksander Turek,
Tamas Kozicz,
Anna E. Skalniak,
Paweł Jagielski,
Tadeusz J. Popiela,
Maciej Pilecki
Affiliations
Wirginia Krzyściak
Department of Medical Diagnostics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Krakow, Poland
Paulina Karcz
Department of Electroradiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-126 Krakow, Poland
Beata Bystrowska
Department of Toxicology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Krakow, Poland
Marta Szwajca
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-501 Krakow, Poland
Amira Bryll
Department of Radiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-501 Krakow, Poland
Natalia Śmierciak
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-501 Krakow, Poland
Anna Ligęzka
Department of Medical Diagnostics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Krakow, Poland
Aleksander Turek
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-501 Krakow, Poland
Tamas Kozicz
Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
Anna E. Skalniak
Head and Department of Endocrinology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Krakow, Poland
Paweł Jagielski
Department of Nutrition and Drug Research, Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-066 Krakow, Poland
Tadeusz J. Popiela
Department of Radiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-501 Krakow, Poland
Maciej Pilecki
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-501 Krakow, Poland
The altered cerebral energy metabolism central to schizophrenia can be linked to lactate accumulation. Lactic acid is produced by gastrointestinal bacteria, among others, and readily crosses the blood–brain barrier, leading to the brain acidity. This study aimed to examine the association of the oral microbiota with the effects of acid stress induced by an increase of brain lactate in schizophrenia patients. The study included patients with a diagnosis of acute polyphasic psychotic disorder meeting criteria for schizophrenia at 3-month follow-up. Results: Individuals with a significantly higher total score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale had statistically significantly lower lactate concentrations compared to those with a lower total score and higher brain lactate. We observed a positive correlation between Actinomyces and lactate levels in the anterior cingulate cap and a negative correlation between bacteria associated with lactate metabolism and some clinical assessment scales. Conclusions: Shifts in the oral microbiota in favour of lactate-utilising bacterial genera may represent a compensatory mechanism in response to increased lactate production in the brain. Assessment of neuronal function mediated by ALA-LAC-dependent NMDA regulatory mechanisms may, thus, support new therapies for schizophrenia, for which acidosis has become a differentiating feature of individuals with schizophrenia endophenotypes.
