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Embryonic Exposure to Tryptophan Yields Bullying Victimization via Reprogramming the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in a
Xiaohong Huang1,2, Jiaying Hu2, Haining Peng3
1Institute of Neuroregeneration & Neurorehabilitation, Department of Pathophysiology, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
Insights
Gestational tryptophan excess impacts offspring development, affecting gut microbiome and brain neurogenesis. This study reveals potential links between maternal tryptophan levels, gut-brain axis changes, and reduced aggression in male offspring.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Maternal metabolic disorders in early pregnancy can lead to emotional and behavioral issues in offspring, including vulnerability to bullying.
- Tryptophan fluctuations during pregnancy disrupt the offspring's gut microbiome and brain neurogenesis, causing lasting physiological and social behavioral effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how excess gestational tryptophan influences children's mental and physical development through the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
- To understand the foundational impact on mental status and social behavior, specifically bullying vulnerability.
Main Methods:
- Utilized chicken embryos for their robust microbiota and independence from maternal influence during embryogenesis.
- Administered embryonic tryptophan exposure and analyzed offspring body weight, aggressiveness, gut morphology, cecal microbiota composition, and catecholamine concentrations.
Main Results:
- Embryonic tryptophan exposure reduced body weight and aggressiveness in male offspring.
- Observed increased relative gut length and crypt depth, with a decreased villus/crypt ratio in treated roosters.
- Detected increased catecholamine concentrations and alterations in cecal microbiota composition, suggesting a modified gut-brain axis function.
Conclusions:
- Gestational tryptophan excess impacts the gut-brain axis, influencing offspring development and social behavior.
- Findings suggest a mechanism by which maternal tryptophan levels may affect bullying vulnerability.
- Highlights the potential for managing dietary tryptophan and therapeutic interventions during pregnancy to prevent bullying.
Abstract:
Maternal metabolic disorder during early pregnancy may give rise to emotional and behavioral disorders in the child, vulnerable to bullying. Placental tryptophan fluctuation consequently disrupts offspring gut microbiome and brain neurogenesis with long-lasting physiological and social behavioral impacts. The aim of this study was to examine the hypothesis that the excess gestational tryptophan may affect children's mental and physical development via modifying the microbiota-gut-brain axis, which lays the foundation of their mental status. Chicken embryo was employed due to its robust microbiota and independence of maternal influences during embryogenesis. The results indicated that embryonic tryptophan exposure reduced body weight and aggressiveness in the male offspring before and during adolescence. Additionally, the relative gut length and crypt depth were increased, while the villus/crypt ratio was decreased in tryptophan treated roosters, which was corresponding to the changes in the cecal microbiota composition. Furthermore, the catecholamine concentrations were increased in tryptophan group, which may be associated with the alterations in the gut microbiome and the gut-brain axis's function. These changes may underlie the sociometric status of bullying; clarify how gestational tryptophan fluctuation compromises bullying and provide a strategy to prevent bullying by controlling dietary tryptophan and medication therapy during pregnancy.
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