VIB Laboratory of Translational Immunomodulation, Center for Inflammation Research (IRC), Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
Department of Immunology and Infection, Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED), Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
Nutrients. 2023 Sep 27;15(19):4184. doi: 10.3390/nu15194184.
In recent years, the gut-central nervous system axis has emerged as a key factor in the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury (SCI). Interleukin-13 (IL-13) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in SCI. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in microbiota composition after hemisection injury and to determine whether systemic recombinant (r)IL-13 treatment could alter the gut microbiome, indirectly promoting functional recovery. The gut microbiota composition was determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and correlations between gut microbiota alterations and functional recovery were assessed. Our results showed that there were no changes in alpha diversity between the groups before and after SCI, while PERMANOVA analysis for beta diversity showed significant differences in fecal microbial communities. Phylogenetic classification of bacterial families revealed a lower abundance of the Bacteroidales S24-7 group and a higher abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Lactobacillaceae in the post-SCI group. Systemic rIL-13 treatment improved functional recovery 28 days post-injury and microbiota analysis revealed increased relative abundance of Clostridiales vadin BB60 and and decreased , , and compared to controls. Functional assessment with PICRUSt showed that genes related to glyoxylate cycle and palmitoleate biosynthesis-I were the predominant signatures in the rIL-13-treated group, whereas sulfolactate degradation super pathway and formaldehyde assimilation-I were enriched in controls. In conclusion, our results indicate that rIL-13 treatment promotes changes in gut microbial communities and may thereby contribute indirectly to the improvement of functional recovery in mice, possibly having important implications for the development of novel treatment options for SCI.
近年来，肠-中枢神经系统轴已成为脊髓损伤 (SCI) 病理生理学的关键因素。白细胞介素-13 (IL-13) 已被证明在 SCI 中具有抗炎和神经保护作用。本研究旨在探讨半切损伤后微生物群落组成的变化，并确定系统重组 (r)IL-13 治疗是否可以改变肠道微生物群，间接促进功能恢复。通过 16S rRNA 基因测序确定肠道微生物群落组成，并评估肠道微生物群落变化与功能恢复之间的相关性。我们的结果表明，SCI 前后两组的 alpha 多样性没有变化，而 PERMANOVA 分析 beta 多样性显示粪便微生物群落存在显著差异。细菌科的系统发育分类显示，Bacteroidales S24-7 组的丰度较低，Lachnospiraceae 和 Lactobacillaceae 的丰度较高。系统 rIL-13 治疗可改善损伤后 28 天的功能恢复，微生物组分析显示，与对照组相比，Clostridiales vadin BB60 和 的相对丰度增加，而 、 和 的相对丰度降低。用 PICRUSt 进行功能评估显示，rIL-13 治疗组中与乙醛酸循环和棕榈油酸生物合成-I 相关的基因是主要特征，而对照组中富含亚硫酸酯降解超级途径和甲醛同化-I。总之，我们的结果表明，rIL-13 治疗可促进肠道微生物群落的变化，并可能间接促进小鼠功能恢复的改善，这可能对 SCI 新治疗方案的发展具有重要意义。
