Effects of environmental contaminants on anxiety-like and fear behaviors, and gut-microbiota in rodents

项目摘要 我们的目标是了解环境污染物，即草甘膦， 焦虑和恐惧相关的行为，并确定肠道微生物之间可能的联系， 失衡和行为缺陷。人类接触化学品的风险增加， 食品防腐剂、农业和工业生产表明， 环境毒素，如草甘膦，以及神经和情感的发展 紊乱草甘膦是草甘膦除草剂中的活性成分， 认为对哺乳动物是安全的，因为它通过抑制不存在的代谢途径发挥作用。 在哺乳动物中。然而，这种酶存在于微生物中，使得肠道微生物群可能 易受草甘膦伤害。考虑到肠道微生物群对宿主有益， 作为对病原体的防御，产生神经递质，如血清素，并调节 正常的脑功能，肠道微生物群的紊乱可能有助于神经发病机制 通过产生一连串的事件导致情绪失调因此，草甘膦可以 通过对抗动物肠道微生物来影响动物的健康。草甘膦的影响 对焦虑和恐惧相关行为的影响尚不清楚。来评估潜在的关系 草甘膦对焦虑、恐惧和肠道微生物群的影响之间， 考察了解草甘膦如何影响大鼠肠道共生体，它们的行为和大脑 病理生理学将有助于阐明这种化学物质对焦虑和恐惧的可能作用。我们将 给成年大鼠饮用被草甘膦污染的饮用水或过滤水， 焦虑和恐惧相关行为的行为研究。我们假设 饮用草甘膦污染的水会导致焦虑和恐惧相关的增加 行为。此外，通过评估肠道微生物群组成的变化，我们将 确定可能与情绪障碍发展相关的微生物失衡。

Project Summary Our goal is to understand the effects of environmental contaminants, namely glyphosate, on anxiety-like and fear-related behaviors, and determine possible links between gut microbial imbalances and behavioral deficits. The increased risk of human exposure to chemicals from food preservatives, agriculture and industrial production suggests a link between exposure to environmental toxins, such as glyphosate, and the development of neurological and emotional disorders. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in glyphosate-based herbicides, was initially considered safe for mammals since it exerts its effect by inhibiting a metabolic route not present in mammals. However, this enzyme is found in microorganism, making the gut microbiota likely susceptible to damage by glyphosate. Given that the gut microbiota benefits the host, by acting as a defense against pathogens, producing neurotransmitters such as serotonin, and regulating normal brain function, disturbances of the gut microbiota may contribute to neural pathogenesis by generating a cascade of events which lead to emotional dysregulation. Thus, glyphosate can impact the health of animals by acting against their gut microbes. The influence of glyphosate on anxiety-like and fear-related behaviors is unclear. To evaluate the potential relationship between the influence of glyphosate on anxiety, fear, and gut microbiota, a link must be examined. Understanding how glyphosate impacts rat gut symbionts, their behavior and brain pathophysiology will help elucidate a possible role of this chemical to anxiety and fear. We will give either glyphosate-contaminated drinking water or filtered water, to adult rats, and perform behavioral studies for anxiety-like and fear-related behaviors. We hypothesize that prolonged drinking of glyphosate-contaminated water will lead to increased anxiety-like and fear-related behaviors. In addition, by evaluating for changes in the composition of gut microbiota, we will identify microbial imbalances that may correlate with the development of emotional disorders.