@article {Gareau1522, author = {M{\'e}lanie G Gareau and Jennifer Jury and Glenda MacQueen and Philip M Sherman and Mary H Perdue}, title = {Probiotic treatment of rat pups normalises corticosterone release and ameliorates colonic dysfunction induced by maternal separation}, volume = {56}, number = {11}, pages = {1522--1528}, year = {2007}, doi = {10.1136/gut.2006.117176}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group}, abstract = {Background: We previously showed that neonatal maternal separation (MS) of rat pups causes immediate and long-term changes in intestinal physiology.Aim: To examine if administration of probiotics affects MS-induced gut dysfunction.Methods: MS pups were separated from the dam for 3 h/day from days 4 to 19; non-separated (NS) pups served as controls. Twice per day during the separation period, 108 probiotic organisms (two strains of Lactobacillus species) were administered to MS and NS pups; vehicle-treated pups received saline. Studies were conducted on day 20, when blood was collected for corticosterone measurement as an indication of hypothalamus{\textendash}pituitary{\textendash}adrenal (HPA) axis activity, and colonic function was studied in tissues mounted in Ussing chambers. Ion transport was indicated by baseline and stimulated short-circuit current (Isc); macromolecular permeability was measured by flux of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) across colonic tissues; and bacterial adherence/penetration into the mucosa was quantified by culturing tissues in selective media. Colonic function and host defence were also evaluated at day 60.Results: Isc and HRP flux were significantly higher in the colon of MS versus NS pups. There was increased adhesion/penetration of total bacteria in MS pups, but a significant reduction in Lactobacillus species. Probiotic administration ameliorated the MS-induced gut functional abnormalities and bacterial adhesion/penetration at both day 20 and 60, and reduced the elevated corticosterone levels at day 20.Conclusions: The results indicate that altered enteric flora are responsible for colonic pathophysiology. Probiotics improve gut dysfunction induced by MS, at least in part by normalisation of HPA axis activity.}, issn = {0017-5749}, URL = {https://gut.bmj.com/content/56/11/1522}, eprint = {https://gut.bmj.com/content/56/11/1522.full.pdf}, journal = {Gut} }