The choroid plexus epithelium as a novel player in the stomach-brain axis during Helicobacter infection

• Published in: Brain, behavior, and immunity behavior, and immunity, 2018-03, Vol.69, p.35-47
• Main Authors: Gorlé, N., Blaecher, C., Bauwens, E., Vandendriessche, C., Balusu, S., Vandewalle, J., Van Cauwenberghe, C., Van Wonterghem, E., Van Imschoot, G., Liu, C., Ducatelle, R., Libert, C., Haesebrouck, F., Smet, A., Vandenbroucke, R.E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Blood-brain barrier; Blood-Brain Barrier - metabolism; Blood-Brain Barrier - microbiology; Brain - metabolism; Brain - microbiology; Chemokines - metabolism; Choroid plexus; Choroid Plexus - metabolism; Choroid Plexus - microbiology; Cytokines - metabolism; Gastric Mucosa - metabolism; Gut-brain axis; Helicobacter; Helicobacter Infections - metabolism; Helicobacter Infections - microbiology; Inflammation - metabolism; Inflammation - microbiology; Mice; Stomach - microbiology; Stomach-brain axis
• ISSN: 0889-1591; 1090-2139
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.12.010

•Gastric H. suis infection induces changes in brain homeostasis, cognitive decline and increased activity.•The choroid plexus is involved in the communication between the stomach and brain.•Communication between the stomach and brain depends on gastrointestinal leakage.•Peripheral inflammation due to a leaky gut causes disruption of blood-CSF barrier integrity. Several studies suggest a link between shifts in gut microbiota and neurological disorders. Recently, we reported a high prevalence of Helicobacter suis (H. suis) in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Here, we evaluated the effect of gastric H. suis infection on the brain in mice. One month of infection with H. suis resulted in increased brain inflammation, reflected in activation of microglia and cognitive decline. Additionally, we detected choroid plexus inflammation and disruption of the epithelial blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier upon H. suis infection, while the endothelial blood-brain barrier (BBB) remained functional. These changes were accompanied by leakage of the gastrointestinal barrier and low-grade systemic inflammation, suggesting that H. suis-evoked gastrointestinal permeability and subsequent peripheral inflammation induces changes in brain homeostasis via changes in blood-CSF barrier integrity. In conclusion, this study shows for the first time that H. suis infection induces inflammation in the brain associated with cognitive decline and that the choroid plexus is a novel player in the stomach-brain axis.