Modulation of high fat diet-induced microbiome changes, but not behaviour, by minocycline

• Published in: Brain, behavior, and immunity behavior, and immunity, 2019-11, Vol.82, p.309-318
• Main Authors: Hasebe, Kyoko, Rivera, Leni R., Smith, Craig M., Allnutt, Theo, Crowley, Tamsyn, Nelson, Tiffanie M., Dean, Olivia M., McGee, Sean L., Walder, Ken, Gray, Laura
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Gut microbiome; High fat diet feeding; Minocycline
• ISSN: 0889-1591; 1090-2139
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.09.001

•High fat diet consumption was associated with behavioural changes in male C57BL/6J mice.•Chronic high fat diet feeding mediated significant alteration of the gut microbiome and behaviour in the host.•Minocycline treatment altered gut microbiome profiles in both healthy and diet-affected mice.•Our study first showed minocycline-induced changes in the gut microbiome do not necessarily correlate with changes in behaviour. An emerging novel therapeutic agent for major depressive disorder, minocycline, has the potential to influence both gut microbiome and inflammatory status. The present study showed that chronic high fat diet feeding led to changes in both behaviour and the gut microbiome in male mice, without an overt inflammatory response. The diet-induced behavioural changes were characterised as increased immobility in the forced swim test and changes in locomotor activities in the open field test. Minocycline significantly altered the gut microbiome, rendering a community distinctly different to both untreated healthy and diet-affected states. In contrast, minocycline did not reverse high fat diet-induced changes in behaviour.