Nutrients (Aug 2020)
Interleukin-6 Gene Expression Changes after a 4-Week Intake of a Multispecies Probiotic in Major Depressive Disorder—Preliminary Results of the PROVIT Study
- Alexandra Reiter,
- Susanne A. Bengesser,
- Anne-Christin Hauschild,
- Anna-Maria Birkl-Töglhofer,
- Frederike T. Fellendorf,
- Martina Platzer,
- Tanja Färber,
- Matthias Seidl,
- Lilli-Marie Mendel,
- Renate Unterweger,
- Melanie Lenger,
- Sabrina Mörkl,
- Nina Dalkner,
- Armin Birner,
- Robert Queissner,
- Carlo Hamm,
- Alexander Maget,
- Rene Pilz,
- Alexandra Kohlhammer-Dohr,
- Jolana Wagner-Skacel,
- Kathrin Kreuzer,
- Helmut Schöggl,
- Daniela Amberger-Otti,
- Theresa Lahousen,
- Birgitta Leitner-Afschar,
- Johannes Haybäck,
- Hans-Peter Kapfhammer,
- Eva Reininghaus
Affiliations
- Alexandra Reiter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Susanne A. Bengesser
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Anne-Christin Hauschild
- Department of Mathematics & Computer Science, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Anna-Maria Birkl-Töglhofer
- Institute for Pathology, Neuropathology and Molecular Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Frederike T. Fellendorf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Martina Platzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Tanja Färber
- Institute of Psychology, University of Bamberg, 96047 Bamberg, Germany
- Matthias Seidl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Lilli-Marie Mendel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Renate Unterweger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Melanie Lenger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Sabrina Mörkl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Nina Dalkner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Armin Birner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Robert Queissner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Carlo Hamm
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Alexander Maget
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Rene Pilz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Alexandra Kohlhammer-Dohr
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Jolana Wagner-Skacel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Kathrin Kreuzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Helmut Schöggl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Daniela Amberger-Otti
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Theresa Lahousen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Birgitta Leitner-Afschar
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Johannes Haybäck
- Institute for Pathology, Neuropathology and Molecular Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Hans-Peter Kapfhammer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- Eva Reininghaus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, 8036 Graz, Austria
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092575
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 12,
no. 9
p. 2575
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent disease, in which one third of sufferers do not respond to antidepressants. Probiotics have the potential to be well-tolerated and cost-efficient treatment options. However, the molecular pathways of their effects are not fully elucidated yet. Based on previous literature, we assume that probiotics can positively influence inflammatory mechanisms. We aimed at analyzing the effects of probiotics on gene expression of inflammation genes as part of the randomized, placebo-controlled, multispecies probiotics PROVIT study in Graz, Austria. Fasting blood of 61 inpatients with MDD was collected before and after four weeks of probiotic intake or placebo. We analyzed the effects on gene expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1 (NFKB1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). In IL-6 we found no significant main effects for group (F(1,44) = 1.33, p = ns) nor time (F(1,44) = 0.00, p = ns), but interaction was significant (F(1,44) = 5.67, p IL-6 gene expression levels while the placebo group showed increasing gene expression levels of IL-6. Probiotics could be a useful additional treatment in MDD, due to their anti-inflammatory effects. Results of the current study are promising, but further studies are required to investigate the beneficial effects of probiotic interventions in depressed individuals.
Keywords