Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27825953›Full record

Trial reportBrain, behavior, and immunity2017

Microbial lysate upregulates host oxytocin.

Bernard J Varian, Theofilos Poutahidis, Brett T DiBenedictis, Tatiana Levkovich, Yassin Ibrahim, Eliska Didyk, Lana Shikhman, Harry K Cheung, Alexandros Hardas, Catherine E Ricciardi and 4 more

Open access · greenAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 71 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
71citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
10.7field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

71 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 144 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Microbiome and well-being: a meta-analysis.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2025
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11 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Bernard J VarianDivision of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Theofilos PoutahidisDivision of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; College of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Brett T DiBenedictisNeurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
Tatiana LevkovichDivision of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Yassin IbrahimDivision of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Eliska DidykDivision of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Lana ShikhmanUniversity of Massachusetts Medical School and Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA, USA.
Harry K CheungNeurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
Alexandros HardasCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Catherine E RicciardiClinical Research Center, Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute or Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Kumaran KolandaiveluClinical Research Center, Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute or Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Alexa H VeenemaNeurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
Eric J AlmBiological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Susan E ErdmanDivision of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. Electronic address: serdman@mit.edu.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology · USBoston College · USAristotle University of Thessaloniki · GRBroad Institute · USMemorial Medical Center · US

Funding

TOXICOLOGY CORE UNITP30ES002109 · NIEHS · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · PI YAFFE, MICHAEL B · 1985 to 2020
$25.6M
GI Tract Dysbiosis and Breast CancerU01CA164337 · NCI · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · PI ERDMAN, SUSAN E, WANG, TIMOTHY CRAGIN · 2012 to 2016
$2.6M
Role of IL10 and TGFb1 in colon cancerR01CA108854 · NCI · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · PI ERDMAN, SUSAN E · 2005 to 2014
$2.4M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA108854NCI NIH HHS U01 CA164337NIEHS NIH HHS P30 ES002109
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Neuropeptide hormone oxytocin has roles in social bonding, energy metabolism, and wound healing contributing to good physical, mental and social health. It was previously shown that feeding of a human commensal microbe Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) is sufficient to up-regulate endogenous oxytocin levels and improve wound healing capacity in mice. Here we show that oral L. reuteri-induced skin wound repair benefits extend to human subjects. Further, dietary supplementation with a sterile lysate of this microbe alone is sufficient to boost systemic oxytocin levels and improve wound repair capacity. Oxytocin-producing cells were found to be increased in the caudal paraventricular nucleus [PVN] of the hypothalamus after feeding of a sterile lysed preparation of L. reuteri, coincident with lowered blood levels of stress hormone corticosterone and more rapid epidermal closure, in mouse models. We conclude that microbe viability is not essential for regulating host oxytocin levels. The results suggest that a peptide or metabolite produced by bacteria may modulate host oxytocin secretion for potential public or personalized health goals.

Indexed as

Limosilactobacillus reuteriSkin Physiological PhenomenaAdultAnimalsCorticosteroneDietary SupplementsFemaleHumansMiceMice, KnockoutOxytocinProbioticsSkinUp-RegulationWound HealingYoung AdultCorticosteroneOxytocinBacteriaCorticosteronePostbioticStressThymusWound healing

Identifiers

PMID27825953
PMCPMC5431580
OpenAlexW2547516517

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.