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Bacteria found in healthy brain
Researchers at the University of New Mexico have discovered bacteria in the healthy brains of salmon. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, could provide important data for further research into Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases in humans.
A group of scientists specializing in the study of the immune system of vertebrate mucous membranes conducted a study on rainbow trout. Analysis of the interaction of the nervous and immune systems showed that even healthy fish have bacteria in their brains. This contradicts the generally accepted opinion that microorganisms can only enter the body if there is a disease.
The bacterial load in the fish brain is as dense as that in the spleen. More than 50% of the brain's bacterial diversity comes from gut and blood bacterial communities that carry microbes to the nervous system. As expected, the highest bacterial density was not found in the olfactory bulb, but was found in other brain regions, indicating that bacterial communities are regularly replenished via the bloodstream.
To confirm their findings, the team also took brain samples from other salmon species from other regions, including Chinook and Atlantic salmon. In all cases, the bacteria were found in the central nervous system.
This study confirms that bacteria naturally occur in the fish brain without causing pathology, raising important questions about the relationship between the vertebrate microbiome and neurodegenerative processes. The scientists hope that their research will help to understand how microbes interact with the nervous system and will influence future research into Alzheimer's disease.