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Drobyshevsky A, Synowiec S, Goussakov I, Fabres R, Lu J, Caplan M. Intestinal microbiota modulates neuroinflammatory response and brain injury after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. Gut Microbes 2024; 16:2333808. [PMID: 38533575 PMCID: PMC10978030 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2333808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Premature infants lack a normal intestinal microbial community and also at risk of perinatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury, which is considered to be one of the major factors for motor, sensory, and cognitive deficits. We hypothesized that neonatal gut microbiota composition modulated the immune reaction and severity of neonatal H-I brain injury. Neonatal C57BL/6J mouse pups were exposed to H-I protocol consisting of permanent left carotid artery ligation, followed by 8% hypoxia for 60 min. Microbial manipulation groups included 1) antibiotic treatment, E18 (maternal) to P5; 2) antibiotic treatment E18 to P5 + E. coli gavage; 3) antibiotic treatment E18 to P5 + B. infantis gavage; and 4) saline to pups with dams getting fresh water. The extent of brain injury and recovery was measured on MRI. Edematous injury volume was significantly higher in E. coli group than that in B. infantis group and in fresh water group. Gene expression in brains of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL1β, IL6, IL2, TNF-α and toll-like receptors 2-6) were elevated to a greater extent in the E. coli group at P10, no injury, and at P13, 72 hours after H-I relative to sham control and B. infantis groups. Significant effects of microbiome and brain injury and interaction of these factors were found in abundance of major phyla. The neuroinflammatory response and brain injury after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia are affected by intestinal microbiota, providing opportunities for therapeutic intervention through targeting the early colonization and development of the gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sylvia Synowiec
- Department of Pediatrics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Ivan Goussakov
- Department of Pediatrics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Rafael Fabres
- Department of Pediatrics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jing Lu
- Department of Pediatrics, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michael Caplan
- Department of Pediatrics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
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2
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Liu L, Xiang M, Cai X, Wu B, Chen C, Cai N, Ao D. Multi-omics analyses of gut microbiota via 16S rRNA gene sequencing, LC-MS/MS and diffusion tension imaging reveal aberrant microbiota-gut-brain axis in very low or extremely low birth weight infants with white matter injury. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:387. [PMID: 38057706 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-03103-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to comprehensively investigate the characteristics of gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolites levels in very low or extremely low birth weight (VLBW/ELBW) infants with white matter injury (WMI). METHODS In this prospective cohort study, preterm infants with gestational age < 32 weeks and weight < 1.5 kg were investigated. Additionally, fecal samples were collected on days zero, 14d and 28d after admission to the intensive care unit. All subjects underwent brain scan via MRI and DTI at a corrected gestational age of 37 ~ 40 weeks. Based on the results of MRI examination, the VLBW/ELBW infants were divided into two groups: WMI and non-WMI. Finally, based on a multi-omics approach, we performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing, LC-MS/MS, and diffusion tension imaging to identify quantifiable and informative biomarkers for WMI. RESULT We enrolled 23 patients with and 48 patients without WMI. The results of 16S RNA sequencing revealed an increase in the number of Staphylococcus and Acinetobacter species in the fecal samples of infants with WMI, as well as increasing levels of S. caprae and A._johnsonii. LEfSe analysis (LDA ≥ 4) showed that the WMI group carried an abundance of Staphylococcus species including S. caprae, members of the phyla Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota, and Acinetobacter species. A total of 139 metabolic markers were significantly and differentially expressed between WMI and nWMI. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the WMI group showed significant downregulation of 17 metabolic pathways including biosynthesis of arginine and primary bile acids. The WMI group showed delayed brain myelination, especially in the paraventricular white matter and splenium of corpus callosum. Staphylococcus species may affect WMI by downregulating metabolites such as cholic acid, allocholic acid, and 1,3-butadiene. Gut microbiota such as Acinetobacter and Bacteroidetes may alter white matter structurally by upregulating metabolites such as cinobufagin. CONCLUSION Based on 16S RNA sequencing results, severe gut microbiota dysbiosis was observed in the WMI group. The results might reveal damage to potential signaling pathways of microbiota-gut-brain axis in gut microbiota. The mechanism was mediated via downregulation of the bile acid biosynthetic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524000, Guangdong, China
| | - Min Xiang
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001, China
| | - Xiangsheng Cai
- Guangzhou Cadre Health Management Center, Guangzhou Eleventh People's Hospital, Guangzhou, 510000, Guangdong, China
| | - Benqing Wu
- University of the Chinese Academy of Science-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China
| | - Chaohong Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524000, Guangdong, China
| | - Nali Cai
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524000, Guangdong, China
| | - Dang Ao
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524000, Guangdong, China.
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Yeo XY, Chae WR, Lee HU, Bae HG, Pettersson S, Grandjean J, Han W, Jung S. Nuanced contribution of gut microbiome in the early brain development of mice. Gut Microbes 2023; 15:2283911. [PMID: 38010368 PMCID: PMC10768743 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2023.2283911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The complex symbiotic relationship between the mammalian body and gut microbiome plays a critical role in the health outcomes of offspring later in life. The gut microbiome modulates virtually all physiological functions through direct or indirect interactions to maintain physiological homeostasis. Previous studies indicate a link between maternal/early-life gut microbiome, brain development, and behavioral outcomes relating to social cognition. Here we present direct evidence of the role of the gut microbiome in brain development. Through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we investigated the impact of the gut microbiome on brain organization and structure using germ-free (GF) mice and conventionalized mice, with the gut microbiome reintroduced after weaning. We found broad changes in brain volume in GF mice that persist despite the reintroduction of gut microbes at weaning. These data suggest a direct link between the maternal gut or early-postnatal microbe and their impact on brain developmental programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yi Yeo
- Lab of Metabolic Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Woo Ri Chae
- Lab of Metabolic Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Ung Lee
- National Neuroscience Institute, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore Health Services, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han-Gyu Bae
- Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Sven Pettersson
- National Neuroscience Institute, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore Health Services, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medical Sciences, Sunway University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Joanes Grandjean
- Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Weiping Han
- Lab of Metabolic Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sangyong Jung
- Lab of Metabolic Medicine, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
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4
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Aswendt M, Hoehn M. Functional hyperconnectivity related to brain disease: maladaptive process or element of resilience? Neural Regen Res 2023; 18:1489-1490. [PMID: 36571347 PMCID: PMC10075104 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.361541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Aswendt
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne; Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Juelich, Juelich, Germany
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Juelich, Juelich, Germany
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Pini L, Salvalaggio A, Wennberg AM, Dimakou A, Matteoli M, Corbetta M. The pollutome-connectome axis: a putative mechanism to explain pollution effects on neurodegeneration. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 86:101867. [PMID: 36720351 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The study of pollutant effects is extremely important to address the epochal challenges we are facing, where world populations are increasingly moving from rural to urban centers, revolutionizing our world into an urban world. These transformations will exacerbate pollution, thus highlighting the necessity to unravel its effect on human health. Epidemiological studies have reported that pollution increases the risk of neurological diseases, with growing evidence on the risk of neurodegenerative disorders. Air pollution and water pollutants are the main chemicals driving this risk. These chemicals can promote inflammation, acting in synergy with genotype vulnerability. However, the biological underpinnings of this association are unknown. In this review, we focus on the link between pollution and brain network connectivity at the macro-scale level. We provide an updated overview of epidemiological findings and studies investigating brain network changes associated with pollution exposure, and discuss the mechanistic insights of pollution-induced brain changes through neural networks. We explain, in detail, the pollutome-connectome axis that might provide the functional substrate for pollution-induced processes leading to cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration. We describe this model within the framework of two pollutants, air pollution, a widely recognized threat, and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a large class of synthetic chemicals which are currently emerging as new neurotoxic source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Pini
- Department of Neuroscience and Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy; Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, VIMM, Padova, Italy.
| | | | - Alexandra M Wennberg
- Unit of Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anastasia Dimakou
- Department of Neuroscience and Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Michela Matteoli
- Neuro Center, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milano, Italy; CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Milano, Italy
| | - Maurizio Corbetta
- Department of Neuroscience and Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy; Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, VIMM, Padova, Italy
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6
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Paeslack N, Mimmler M, Becker S, Gao Z, Khuu MP, Mann A, Malinarich F, Regen T, Reinhardt C. Microbiota-derived tryptophan metabolites in vascular inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Amino Acids 2022; 54:1339-1356. [PMID: 35451695 PMCID: PMC9641817 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-022-03161-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The essential amino acid tryptophan (Trp) is metabolized by gut commensals, yielding in compounds that affect innate immune cell functions directly, but also acting on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), thus regulating the maintenance of group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), promoting T helper 17 (TH17) cell differentiation, and interleukin-22 production. In addition, microbiota-derived Trp metabolites have direct effects on the vascular endothelium, thus influencing the development of vascular inflammatory phenotypes. Indoxyl sulfate was demonstrated to promote vascular inflammation, whereas indole-3-propionic acid and indole-3-aldehyde had protective roles. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence for a contributory role of microbiota-derived indole-derivatives in blood pressure regulation and hypertension. Interestingly, there are indications for a role of the kynurenine pathway in atherosclerotic lesion development. Here, we provide an overview on the emerging role of gut commensals in the modulation of Trp metabolism and its influence in cardiovascular disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Paeslack
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Maximilian Mimmler
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Stefanie Becker
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Zhenling Gao
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - My Phung Khuu
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Amrit Mann
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Frano Malinarich
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tommy Regen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christoph Reinhardt
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany.
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7
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Sinha N, Joshi RB, Sandhu MRS, Netoff TI, Zaveri HP, Lehnertz K. Perspectives on Understanding Aberrant Brain Networks in Epilepsy. FRONTIERS IN NETWORK PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 2:868092. [PMID: 36926081 PMCID: PMC10013006 DOI: 10.3389/fnetp.2022.868092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder affecting approximately 70 million people worldwide. It is characterized by seizures that are complex aberrant dynamical events typically treated with drugs and surgery. Unfortunately, not all patients become seizure-free, and there is an opportunity for novel approaches to treat epilepsy using a network view of the brain. The traditional seizure focus theory presumed that seizures originated within a discrete cortical area with subsequent recruitment of adjacent cortices with seizure progression. However, a more recent view challenges this concept, suggesting that epilepsy is a network disease, and both focal and generalized seizures arise from aberrant activity in a distributed network. Changes in the anatomical configuration or widespread neural activities spanning lobes and hemispheres could make the brain more susceptible to seizures. In this perspective paper, we summarize the current state of knowledge, address several important challenges that could further improve our understanding of the human brain in epilepsy, and invite novel studies addressing these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishant Sinha
- Department of Neurology, Penn Epilepsy Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rasesh B. Joshi
- Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Theoden I. Netoff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Hitten P. Zaveri
- Department of Neurology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Klaus Lehnertz
- Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Center for Complex Systems, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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8
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Scharwächter L, Schmitt FJ, Pallast N, Fink GR, Aswendt M. Network analysis of neuroimaging in mice. Neuroimage 2022; 253:119110. [PMID: 35311664 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Graph theory allows assessing changes of neuronal connectivity and interactions of brain regions in response to local lesions, e.g., after stroke, and global perturbations, e.g., due to psychiatric dysfunctions or neurodegenerative disorders. Consequently, network analysis based on constructing graphs from structural and functional MRI connectivity matrices is increasingly used in clinical studies. In contrast, in mouse neuroimaging, the focus is mainly on basic connectivity parameters, i.e., the correlation coefficient or fiber counts, whereas more advanced network analyses remain rarely used. This review summarizes graph theoretical measures and their interpretation to describe networks derived from recent in vivo mouse brain studies. To facilitate the entry into the topic, we explain the related mathematical definitions, provide a dedicated software toolkit, and discuss practical considerations for the application to rs-fMRI and DTI. This way, we aim to foster cross-species comparisons and the application of standardized measures to classify and interpret network changes in translational brain disease studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Scharwächter
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Dept. of Neurology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Felix J Schmitt
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Dept. of Neurology, Cologne, Germany; University of Cologne, Institute of Zoology, Dept. of Computational Systems Neuroscience, Cologne, Germany
| | - Niklas Pallast
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Dept. of Neurology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gereon R Fink
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Dept. of Neurology, Cologne, Germany; Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Juelich, Germany
| | - Markus Aswendt
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Dept. of Neurology, Cologne, Germany; Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Juelich, Germany.
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9
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Gut microbiome effects on neuronal excitability & activity: Implications for epilepsy. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 165:105629. [PMID: 35033659 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now well established that the bacterial population of the gastrointestinal system, known as the gut microbiome, is capable of influencing the brain and its dependent functions. Links have been demonstrated between the microbiome and a variety of normal and pathological neural functions, including epilepsy. Many of these microbiome-brain links involve the direct or indirect modulation of the excitability and activity of individual neurons by the gut microbiome. Such links may be particularly significant when it comes to microbiome modulation of epilepsy, often considered a disorder of neuronal excitability. In this review we consider the current evidence of a relationship between the gut microbiome and the excitability or activity of neurons in the context of epilepsy. The review focuses particularly on evidence of direct, causal microbiome effects on neuronal excitability or activity, but also considers demonstrations of microbiome to host interactions that are likely to have an indirect influence. While we identify a few common themes, it is apparent that deriving general mechanistic principles of microbiome influence on these parameters in epilepsy will require considerable further study to tease out the many interacting factors, systems, and conditions.
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10
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Van der Linden A, Hoehn M. Monitoring Neuronal Network Disturbances of Brain Diseases: A Preclinical MRI Approach in the Rodent Brain. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 15:815552. [PMID: 35046778 PMCID: PMC8761853 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.815552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional and structural neuronal networks, as recorded by resting-state functional MRI and diffusion MRI-based tractography, gain increasing attention as data driven whole brain imaging methods not limited to the foci of the primary pathology or the known key affected regions but permitting to characterize the entire network response of the brain after disease or injury. Their connectome contents thus provide information on distal brain areas, directly or indirectly affected by and interacting with the primary pathological event or affected regions. From such information, a better understanding of the dynamics of disease progression is expected. Furthermore, observation of the brain's spontaneous or treatment-induced improvement will contribute to unravel the underlying mechanisms of plasticity and recovery across the whole-brain networks. In the present review, we discuss the values of functional and structural network information derived from systematic and controlled experimentation using clinically relevant animal models. We focus on rodent models of the cerebral diseases with high impact on social burdens, namely, neurodegeneration, and stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- Research Center Jülich, Institute 3 for Neuroscience and Medicine, Jülich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Mathias Hoehn
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11
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Carloni S, Rescigno M. Unveiling the gut-brain axis: structural and functional analogies between the gut and the choroid plexus vascular and immune barriers. Semin Immunopathol 2022; 44:869-882. [PMID: 35861857 PMCID: PMC9301898 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-022-00955-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The vasculature plays an essential role in the development and maintenance of blood-tissue interface homeostasis. Knowledge on the morphological and functional nature of the blood vessels in every single tissue is, however, very poor, but it is becoming clear that each organ is characterized by the presence of endothelial barriers with different properties fundamental for the maintenance of tissue resident immune homeostasis and for the recruitment of blood-trafficking immune cells. The tissue specificity of the vascular unit is dependent on the presence of differentiated endothelial cells that form continues, fenestrated, or sinusoidal vessels with different grades of permeability and different immune receptors, according to how that particular tissue needs to be protected. The gut-brain axis highlights the prominent role that the vasculature plays in allowing a direct and prompt exchange of molecules between the gut, across the gut vascular barrier (GVB), and the brain. Recently, we identified a new choroid plexus vascular barrier (PVB) which receives and integrates information coming from the gut and is fundamental in the modulation of the gut-brain axis. Several pathologies are linked to functional dysregulation of either the gut or the choroid plexus vascular barriers. In this review, we unveil the structural and functional analogies between the GVB and PVB, comparing their peculiar features and highlighting the functional role of pitcher and catcher of the gut-brain axis, including their role in the establishment of immune homeostasis and response upon systemic stimuli. We propose that when the gut vascular barrier-the main protecting system of the body from the external world-is compromised, the choroid plexus gatekeeper becomes a second barrier that protects the central nervous system from systemic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Carloni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini, 20072, Pieve Emanuele, MI, Italy.
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089, Rozzano, MI, Italy.
| | - Maria Rescigno
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini, 20072, Pieve Emanuele, MI, Italy.
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089, Rozzano, MI, Italy.
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12
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Kim J, Kim DW, Lee A, Mason M, Jouroukhin Y, Woo H, Yolken RH, Pletnikov MV. Homeostatic regulation of neuronal excitability by probiotics in male germ-free mice. J Neurosci Res 2021; 100:444-460. [PMID: 34935171 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that probiotics can influence the gut-brain axis to ameliorate somatic and behavioral symptoms associated with brain disorders. However, whether probiotics have effects on the electrophysiological activities of individual neurons in the brain has not been evaluated at a single-neuron resolution, and whether the neuronal effects of probiotics depend on the gut microbiome status have yet to be tested. Thus, we conducted whole-cell patch-clamp recording-assisted electrophysiological characterizations of the neuronal effects of probiotics in male germ-free (GF) mice with and without gut microbiome colonization. Two weeks of treatment with probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium animalis) significantly and selectively increased the intrinsic excitability of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, whereas reconstituting gut microbiota in GF mice reversed the effects of the probiotics leading to a decreased intrinsic excitability in hippocampal neurons. This bidirectional modulation of neuronal excitability by probiotics was observed in hippocampal neurons with corresponding basal membrane property and action potential waveform changes. However, unlike the hippocampus, the amygdala excitatory neurons did not show any electrophysiological changes to the probiotic treatment in either GF or conventionalized GF mice. Our findings demonstrate for the first time how probiotic treatment can have a significant influence on the electrophysiological properties of neurons, bidirectionally modulating their intrinsic excitability in a gut microbiota and brain area-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dong Won Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adrian Lee
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Madisen Mason
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Yan Jouroukhin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hyewon Woo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Robert H Yolken
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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