Table 2.
Tryptophan pathway metabolites and neurotransmitter concentrations in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HPC) of female and male mice following alcohol intake and concomitant exposure to water and synbiotic, and control mice exposed only to water (no alcohol).
| Control | Water-alcohol | Synbiotic-alcohol | F-values | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Females | |||||
| PFC | Tryp | 3.67 ± 0.66 | 5.35 ± 0.57 | 5.68 ± 0.83 | F(2, 17) = 1.870, NS |
| Kyn | 0.06 ± 0.01 | 0.08 ± 0.01 | 0.10 ± 0.02* | F(2, 16) = 3.203, p < 0.05 | |
| 5-HT | 0.43 ± 0.08 | 0.74 ± 0.08* | 0.85 ± 0.07** | F(2, 17) = 7.223, p < 0.01 | |
| 5-HIAA | 2.53 ± 0.24 | 2.04 ± 0.29 | 2.23 ± 0.50 | F(2, 18) = 0.395, NS | |
| DA | 0.12 ± 0.02 | 0.10 ± 0.01 | 0.19 ± 0.07 | F(2, 17) = 2.349, NS | |
| NA | 0.44 ± 0.05 | 0.41 ± 0.03 | 0.33 ± 0.03 | F(2, 18) = 1.871, NS | |
| GABA | 80.98 ± 7.80 | 65.60 ± 3.89 | 69.21 ± 6.23 | F(2, 19) = 1.678, NS | |
| HPC | Tryp | 7.82 ± 0.78 | 5.08 ± 0.55** | 4.88 ± 0.50** | F(2, 19) = 6.720, p < 0.01 |
| Kyn | 0.06 ± 0.01 | 0.04 ± 0.01 | 0.04 ± 0.01 | F(2, 19) = 2.441, NS | |
| 5-HT | 0.56 ± 0.04 | 0.60 ± 0.04 | 0.62 ± 0.05 | F(2, 18) = 0.498, NS | |
| 5-HIAA | 3.89 ± 0.17 | 3.57 ± 0.26 | 3.31 ± 0.2 | F(2, 17) = 1.423, NS | |
| DA | 0.06 ± 0.01 | 0.06 ± 0.01 | 0.08 ± 0.02 | F(2, 16) = 0.820, NS | |
| NA | 0.65 ± 0.03 | 0.76 ± 0.05 | 0.64 ± 0.04 | F(2, 17) = 2.287, NS | |
| GABA | 56.66 ± 6.78 | 42.51 ± 2.97* | 50.07 ± 2.76 | F(2, 17) = 2.674, p < 0.05 | |
| Males | |||||
| PFC | Tryp | 5.26 ± 1.61 | 7.09 ± 1.15 | 9.44 ± 1.36 | F(2, 20) = 2.151, NS |
| Kyn | 0.10 ± 0.03 | 0.09 ± 0.01 | 0.09 ± 0.01 | F(2, 21) = 0.045, NS | |
| 5-HT | 0.82 ± 0.32 | 0.70 ± 0.12 | 0.39 ± 0.05 | F(2, 21) = 2.371, NS | |
| 5-HIAA | 2.63 ± 0.28 | 2.51 ± 0.24 | 1.84 ± 0.29 | F(2, 20) = 2.350, NS | |
| DA | 0.10 ± 0.01 | 1.36 ± 1.01 | 0.14 ± 0.04 | F(2, 21) = 0.602, NS | |
| NA | 0.37 ± 0.03 | 0.32 ± 0.05 | 0.22 ± 0.03* | F(2, 21) = 3.572, p < 0.05 | |
| GABA | 90.29 ± 15.42 | 57.69 ± 2.77* | 73.65 ± 8.05 | F(2, 22) = 3.155, p < 0.05 | |
| HPC | Tryp | 4.64 ± 0.28 | 5.70 ± 0.25* | 5.35 ± 0.29 | F(2, 21) = 3.285, p < 0.05 |
| Kyn | 0.017 ± 0.001 | 0.022 ± 0.001* | 0.021 ± 0.002 | F(2, 19) = 3.121, p < 0.05 | |
| 5-HT | 0.50 ± 0.02 | 0.60 ± 0.09 | 0.24 ± 0.03*, ψψψ | F(2, 22) = 9.039, p < 0.01 | |
| 5-HIAA | 3.13 ± 0.28 | 3.42 ± 0.14 | 3.25 ± 0.18 | F(2, 22) = 0.495, NS | |
| DA | 0.05 ± 0.003 | 0.04 ± 0.01 | 0.03 ± 0.004 | F(2, 21) = 1.519, NS | |
| NA | 0.67 ± 0.03 | 0.57 ± 0.05 | 0.34 ± 0.03***, ψψψ | F(2, 22) = 15.33, p < 0.001 | |
| GABA | 60.06 ± 8.71 | 40.93 ± 1.10* | 49.38 ± 5.10 | F(2, 23) = 3.336, p < 0.05 |
*
p < 0.05;
**
p < 0.01,
***
p < 0.001 vs. control;
ψψψ
p < 0.001 vs. water-alcohol (LSD post-hoc test following significant one-way ANOVA).
Tryp, Tryptophan; Kyn, kynurenine; 5-HT, serotonin; 5-HIAA, 5-hidroxyindolacetic acid; DA, dopamine; NA, noradrenaline; GABA, γ-aminobutyric acid. Values are expressed as ng/mg ± SEM.