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Lynch CMK, Cowan CSM, Bastiaanssen TFS, Moloney GM, Theune N, van de Wouw M, Florensa Zanuy E, Ventura-Silva AP, Codagnone MG, Villalobos-Manríquez F, Segalla M, Koc F, Stanton C, Ross P, Dinan TG, Clarke G, Cryan JF. Critical windows of early-life microbiota disruption on behaviour, neuroimmune function, and neurodevelopment. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 108:309-327. [PMID: 36535610 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have emphasised the importance of the gut microbiota during early life and its role in modulating neurodevelopment and behaviour. Epidemiological studies have shown that early-life antibiotic exposure can increase an individual's risk of developing immune and metabolic diseases. Moreover, preclinical studies have shown that long-term antibiotic-induced microbial disruption in early life can have enduring effects on physiology, brain function and behaviour. However, these studies have not investigated the impact of targeted antibiotic-induced microbiota depletion during critical developmental windows and how this may be related to neurodevelopmental outcomes. Here, we addressed this gap by administering a broad-spectrum oral antibiotic cocktail (ampicillin, gentamicin, vancomycin, and imipenem) to mice during one of three putative critical windows: the postnatal (PN; P2-9), pre-weaning (PreWean; P12-18), or post-weaning (Wean; P21-27) developmental periods and assessed the effects on physiology and behaviour in later life. Our results demonstrate that targeted microbiota disruption during early life has enduring effects into adolescence on the structure and function of the caecal microbiome, especially for antibiotic exposure during the weaning period. Further, we show that microbial disruption in early life selectively alters circulating immune cells and modifies neurophysiology in adolescence, including altered myelin-related gene expression in the prefrontal cortex and altered microglial morphology in the basolateral amygdala. We also observed sex and time-dependent effects of microbiota depletion on anxiety-related behavioural outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. Antibiotic-induced microbial disruption had limited and subtle effects on social behaviour and did not have any significant effects on depressive-like behaviour, short-term working, or recognition memory. Overall, this study highlights the importance of the gut microbiota during critical windows of development and the subtle but long-term effects that microbiota-targeted perturbations can have on brain physiology and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caoimhe M K Lynch
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Thomaz F S Bastiaanssen
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - Gerard M Moloney
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - Nigel Theune
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Fatma Koc
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland; Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland
| | - Catherine Stanton
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland; Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland
| | - Paul Ross
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland; Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland
| | - Timothy G Dinan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioural Sciences, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - Gerard Clarke
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioural Sciences, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland.
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Knox EG, Lynch CMK, Lee YS, O'Driscoll CM, Clarke G, Cryan JF, Aburto MR. The gut microbiota is important for the maintenance of blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier integrity. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:233-241. [PMID: 36453579 PMCID: PMC10107533 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The gut microbiota communicates with the brain through several pathways including the vagus nerve, immune system, microbial metabolites and through the endocrine system. Pathways along the humoral/immune gut microbiota-brain axis are composed of a series of vascular and epithelial barriers including the intestinal epithelial barrier, gut-vascular barrier, blood-brain barrier and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. Of these barriers, the relationship between the gut microbiota and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier is yet to be fully defined. Here, using a germ-free mouse model, we aimed to assess the relationship between the gut microbiota and the integrity of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, which is localized to the choroid plexus epithelium. Using confocal microscopy, we visualized the tight junction protein zonula occludens-1, an integral aspect of choroid plexus integrity, as well as the choroid plexus fenestrated capillaries. Quantification of tight junction proteins via network analysis led to the observation that there was a decrease in the zonula occludens-1 network organization in germ-free mice; however, we did not observe any differences in capillary structure. Taken together, these data indicate that the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier is another barrier along the gut microbiota-brain axis. Future studies are required to elucidate its relative contribution in signalling from microbiota to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily G Knox
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Pharmacodelivery Group, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Caoimhe M K Lynch
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Ye Seul Lee
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Gerard Clarke
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Maria R Aburto
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Leigh SJ, Lynch CMK, Bird BRH, Griffin BT, Cryan JF, Clarke G. Gut microbiota-drug interactions in cancer pharmacotherapies: implications for efficacy and adverse effects. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2022; 18:5-26. [PMID: 35176217 DOI: 10.1080/17425255.2022.2043849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The gut microbiota is involved in host physiology and health. Reciprocal microbiota-drug interactions are increasingly recognized as underlying some individual differences in therapy response and adverse events. Cancer pharmacotherapies are characterized by a high degree of interpatient variability in efficacy and side effect profile and recently, the microbiota has emerged as a factor that may underlie these differences. AREAS COVERED The effects of cancer pharmacotherapy on microbiota composition and function are reviewed with consideration of the relationship between baseline microbiota composition, microbiota modification, antibiotics exposure and cancer therapy efficacy. We assess the evidence implicating the microbiota in cancer therapy-related adverse events including impaired gut function, cognition and pain perception. Finally, potential mechanisms underlying microbiota-cancer drug interactions are described, including direct microbial metabolism, and microbial modulation of liver metabolism and immune function. This review focused on preclinical and clinical studies conducted in the last 5 years. EXPERT OPINION Preclinical and clinical research supports a role for baseline microbiota in cancer therapy efficacy, with emerging evidence that the microbiota modification may assist in side effect management. Future efforts should focus on exploiting this knowledge towards the development of microbiota-targeted therapies. Finally, a focus on specific drug-microbiota-cancer interactions is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Gerard Clarke
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Abstract
Despite extensive evidence implicating the microbiota in regulating the immune system, the precise mechanisms underlying microbial control of microglial maturation remain unclear. In a methodological tour de force, Erny et al. (2021) identify acetate as an essential microbiota-derived molecule driving microglial metabolic pathways and functions during healthy and diseased states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caoimhe M K Lynch
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Gerard Clarke
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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