Laboratory Research Finds Gluten Caused Brain Inflammation in Mice

In what is believed to be a world first discovery, University of Otago researchers have found wheat gluten causes brain inflammation in mice.

The research, led by Associate Professor Alex Tups, and published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology, may be of importance for human physiology.

“Mice are an excellent model to study human physiology. They have a very similar circulatory, reproductive, digestive, hormonal and nervous system. So, it is quite possible that the same inflammation we found in mice could happen in humans.”

The study investigated whether a standard diet, referred to as low fat diet (LFD), enriched with 4.5 per cent gluten (matching human average daily consumption), or a high fat diet (HFD), enriched with 4.5 per cent gluten, alters body weight, metabolic markers or central inflammation in male mice.

“Gluten, which is found in cereals such as wheat, rye and barley, makes up a major dietary component in most western nations. While previous studies have shown gluten promotes body mass gain and inflammation in mice in the enteric nervous system and gastrointestinal tract, we investigated the impact of gluten on the brain.”

“The brain has two types of immune cells similar to macrophages in the blood. These are called astrocytes and microglia. We found that gluten as well as HFD increases the number of those immune cells. The effect of gluten added to normal diet increased the cell number to the same extent as if mice were fed an HFD. When gluten was added to the HFD, the cell number went up even further.”

The hypothalamic region of the brain is vital for coordinating basic metabolic functions like body weight regulation and blood sugar regulation.

“If gluten led to hypothalamic inflammation in humans and therefore brain damage, it can be bad in the long run, such as increase in body weight and impaired blood sugar regulation. If these effects became persistent they might exacerbate the risk of e.g. impaired memory function which is linked to disturbed blood sugar regulation.

However, Associate Professor Tups says the finding does not mean people should suddenly stop eating gluten.

“We are not saying that gluten is bad for everyone. For gluten tolerant people to go entirely gluten free may have health implications that may outweigh potential benefits. Often people don’t consume wholefoods and highly processed gluten free products are often low in fiber and high in sugar.

“We are saying that future studies need to reveal whether our findings in mice are translatable to humans and whether gluten-induced astro- and microgliosis may also develop in gluten sensitive individuals.”

Sources:

Mohammed Z. Rizwan, Romy Kerbus, Kaj Kamstra, Pramuk Keerthisinghe, Alexander Tups. Dietary wheat gluten induces astro‐ and microgliosis in the hypothalamus of male mice. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 2023; DOI: 10.1111/jne.13326

University of Otago. (2023, August 8). Laboratory research finds gluten caused brain inflammation in mice. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 8, 2023 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230808110925.htm

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