Getting dirty from time to time may lift your mood>Bacteria found in the soil activated a group of neurons that produce the brain chemical serotonin 07-109

Release date: 1-Apr-2007

Getting dirty may lift your mood

Bacteria found in the soil activated a group of neurons that produce the brain chemical serotonin

Treatment of mice with a ‘friendly’ bacteria, normally found in the soil, altered their behavior in a way similar to that produced by antidepressant drugs, reports research published in the latest issue of Neuroscience.

These findings, identified by researchers at the University of Bristol and colleagues at University College London, aid the understanding of why an imbalance in the immune system leaves some individuals vulnerable to mood disorders like depression.

Dr Chris Lowry, lead author on the paper from Bristol University, said: "These studies help us understand how the body communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for maintaining mental health.  They also leave us wondering if we shouldn’t all be spending more time playing in the dirt."

Interest in the project arose after human cancer patients being treated with the bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae unexpectedly reported increases in their quality of life.  Lowry and his colleagues reasoned that this effect could be caused by activation of neurons in the brain that contained serotonin.

When the team looked closely at the brains of mice, they found that treatment with M. vaccae activated a group of neurons that produce the brain chemical serotonin.  The lack of serotonin in the brain is thought to cause depression in people, thus M. vaccae’s effects on the behavior of mice may be due to increasing the release of serotonin in parts of the brain that regulate mood.

The new research supports this hypothesis, but future studies will be designed to determine if M. vaccae, other bacteria, or pharmaceutical compounds have antidepressant properties through activation of this group of serotonin neurons.

© 2005-2007

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Comments

[Liz]

Getting dirty is good for you. I can't imagine this being true on your wedding day for instance. Can't you picture the bride and groom rolling around in a big mud puddle? A hush comes over the crowd. Everyone wonders what made the bride and groom go cuckoo and muddy up a tuxedo and a dress worth $1000+. That would be a wild wedding.

[Robert]

Oh yeah! I'd love to get dirty sometime. But I never really thought that there was any good to it until now.

By the way, I'm currently developing a site and I hope you can drop by. I've got interesting stuff in there such as metal business card holders (http://www.executivegiftshoppe.com/business-card-holders.html)
that would be perfect for professionals like you. Let me know what you think.