SYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION ON MICROFLORA OF THE GUT

NRSA将通过支持关于神经免疫过程在对压力情况的适应性反应中的作用的研究来促进我在行为神经科学方面的培训。具体而言，这些研究将调查交感神经系统（SNS）活动的个体差异如何影响胃肠道（gi）系统功能的变化及其在应激期间对感染的脆弱性。增加的SNS活性可通过破坏肠道的保护性微生物区系而导致GI稳态的破坏和随后的肠道感染，从而为病原菌的定殖创造容许环境。这些问题将在具有不同行为和情绪气质的恒河猴婴儿中进行评估，这些行为和情绪气质先前已被证明与不同的神经化学特征相关。该提案将测试肠道植物群是否与气质属性，如情绪反应/行为抑制，在基线和引起评估这些猴子，而母亲和随后从她在6个月大。最后，我将调查是否在胃肠道菌群的改变转化为肠道病原体，如志贺氏菌的易感性增加，从而导致心理压力的不良反应。除了这个项目的具体目标之外，这个NRSA将使我能够进一步接受心理生物学技术的研究生培训，从而获得博士学位。威斯康星州大学心理学系的行为神经科学。

The NRSA will facilitate my training in the behavioral neurosciences by supporting research on the role of neuroimmune processes in the adaptive response to stressful situations. Specifically, the studies will investigate how individual differences in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity contribute to variation in the functioning of the gastrointestinal (gi) system and its vulnerability to infection during stress. Increased SNS activity may lead to disruption of gi homeostasis and subsequent enteric infection by disrupting the protective microflora of the gut, creating a permissive environment for colonization by pathogenic bacteria. These questions will be assessed in infant rhesus monkeys with different behavioral and emotional temperaments, previously shown to be associated with distinct neurochemical profiles. The proposal will test whether gut flora are associated with temperamental attributes, such as emotionally reactive/behaviorally inhibited, in both the baseline and aroused by assessing these monkeys while the mother and subsequent to removal from her at 6 months of age. Finally, I will investigate whether alterations in gi microflora translate into an increased susceptibility to enteric pathogens, such as Shigella, and thus lead to a maladative response to psychological stress. Beyond the specific goals of the project,, this NRSA will allow me to further my graduate training in psychobiological techniques leading to a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience through the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin.