Longitudinal shift in fecal microbiota associated with acute and delayed effects of PTSD-eliciting stress mouse model

Potential role of resident microbiota in manipulating the host's stress response, to investigate the host-microbiome relationship in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder. We developed an aggressor exposed social stress mouse model to mimic warzone like conflicts, where random life threatening interactions too place between naive intruder and aggressive resident mice. Gradually the aggressor exposed mice developed distinct phenotypic and genotypic characteristics simulating posttraumatic stress disorder pathophysiologic structure. Fecal samples were collected from control and aggressor exposed social stress mice before social stress, during social stress, and at one and four weeks after the termination of the social stress.