1. Figure 1 Schematic outlining the results of Buffington et al.
Figure 1 | Schematic outlining the results of Buffington et al. In their model of deficits in social behaviour and synaptic plasticity in the offspring of obese mice, the abundance of Lactobacillus reuteri in the offspring gut microbiome was reduced nine-fold. Alterations in oxytocin, social behaviour and synaptic plasticity were restored after treatment with L. reuteri 6475, and similar restoration occurred after intranasal oxytocin administration. Others have shown that L. reuteri 6475 can synthesize histamine, increase oxytocin levels, and is highly immunoregulatory. Could this be the mechanism to further explain the results obtained?
Forsythe, P. & Bienenstock, J. (2016) Microbiota and behaviour: visiting the sins of the mother
Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. doi: /nrgastro