OCD Reduction and Culturelle / Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Probiotic

[TOaksMom]

There is a new Feb. 2014 study from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania: (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24257436) that says:

 

"Two experiments examined probiotic pretreatment (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)-like behavior induction by RU 24969 in BALB/cJ house mice. In the first experiment, two groups were defined by their daily pretreatment by oral gavage of either (a) L. rhamnosus (1×10⁹ CFU/day) or b. the saline vehicle. Both a 2- and 4-week probiotic pretreatment attenuated OCD-like behavior induction (increased perseverative open-field locomotion, stereotypic turning, and marble burying) relative to saline pretreatment. Experiment 2 re-examined the 2-week probiotic pretreatment while also comparing it to a 4-week fluoxetine pretreatment. Again, groups were defined by daily pretreatment of either (a) L. rhamnosus for 2 week, b. the saline vehicle for 2 weeks, or c. fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. Pretreatment by either L. rhamnosus or fluoxetine blocked the induction of OCD-like behavior compared with saline pretreatment. Thus the 2-week probiotic pretreatment was again effective. Although side effects of fluoxetine or L. rhamnosus on androgen-dependent behaviors could not be demonstrated, L. rhamnosus treatment appeared comparable to fluoxetine treatment in attenuating mouse OCD-like behaviors."

 

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is Culturelle:

Generic Name: lactobacillus rhamnosus GG

Brand Name: Culturelle DS, Culturelle HS

http://www.drugs.com/mtm/culturelle-ds.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20130906045350/http://culturelle.com/about_culturelle/culturelle_vs_others

 

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG appears to only be sold as Culturelle in the US:

 

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) is a strain of L. rhamnosus isolated in 1983 from the intestinal tract of a healthy human being; filed for patent on 17 April 1985, by Sherwood Gorbach and Barry Goldin.[2] (The 'GG' derives from the first letters of their surnames').[3] The patent refers to a strain of "L. acidophilus GG" with American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) Accession No. 53103; later reclassified as a strain of L. rhamnosus. The patent claims the L. rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) strain is acid– and bile–stable, has a great avidity for human intestinal mucosal cells, and produces lactic acid. In 1990, Finnish company Valio launched Valio Gefilus, a family of products containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103), for which they also use the trademark LGG.[24] Valio has licenced rights to LGG to several companies, including Amerifit Brands in the United States (Culturelle), FrieslandCampina in the Netherlands (Vifit),[25] Oriola in Finland (Gefilus and LGG), and Dukat in Croatia (LGG).