Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.111 Dade Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
Department of Research Public Service Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou, University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
BMC Microbiol. 2024 Aug 2;24(1):289. doi: 10.1186/s12866-024-03435-w.
Chronic stress induces cognitive deficits. There is a well-established connection between the enteric and central nervous systems through the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis. However, the effects of the gut microbiota on cognitive deficits remain unclear. The present study aimed to elucidate the microbiota composition in cognitive deficits and explore its potential in predicting chronic stress-induced cognitive deficits.
Mice were randomly divided into control and chronic restraint stress (CRS) groups. The mice subjected to CRS were further divided into cognitive deficit (CRS-CD) and non-cognitive deficit (CRS-NCD) groups using hierarchical cluster analysis of novel object recognition test results. The composition and diversity of the gut microbiota were analyzed.
After being subjected to chronic restraint distress, the CRS-CD mice travelled shorter movement distances (p = 0.034 vs. CRS-NCD; p < 0.001 vs. control) and had a lower recognition index than the CRS-NCD (p < 0.0001 vs. CRS-NCD; p < 0.0001 vs. control) and control mice. The results revealed that 5 gut bacteria at genus levels were significantly different in the fecal samples of mice in the three groups. Further analyses demonstrated that Muricomes were not only significantly enriched in the CRS-CD group but also correlated with a decreased cognitive index. The area under the receiver operating curve of Muricomes for CRS-induced cognitive deficits was 0.96.
Our study indicates that the composition of the gut microbiota is involved in the development of cognitive deficits induced by chronic restraint stress. Further analysis revealed that Muricomes have the potential to predict the development of chronic stress-induced cognitive deficits in mice.
慢性应激会导致认知功能障碍。肠-脑轴（gut-brain axis）将肠道和中枢神经系统紧密相连。然而，肠道微生物群对认知功能障碍的影响仍不清楚。本研究旨在阐明认知功能障碍小鼠的肠道微生物群组成，并探索其预测慢性应激诱导的认知功能障碍的潜力。
将小鼠随机分为对照组和慢性束缚应激（chronic restraint stress，CRS）组。CRS 组小鼠进一步根据新物体识别测试结果的层次聚类分析分为认知缺陷（cognitive deficit，CRS-CD）和非认知缺陷（non-cognitive deficit，CRS-NCD）组。分析肠道微生物群的组成和多样性。
在慢性束缚应激后，CRS-CD 组小鼠的运动距离较短（p=0.034 对比 CRS-NCD；p<0.001 对比对照组），识别指数低于 CRS-NCD 组（p<0.0001 对比 CRS-NCD；p<0.0001 对比对照组）和对照组。结果表明，三组小鼠粪便样本中 5 种细菌属水平有显著差异。进一步分析表明，Muricomes 在 CRS-CD 组中不仅显著富集，而且与认知指数降低相关。Muricomes 预测慢性应激诱导的认知功能障碍的受试者工作特征曲线下面积为 0.96。
本研究表明，肠道微生物群的组成参与了慢性束缚应激诱导的认知功能障碍的发生。进一步分析表明，Muricomes 具有预测慢性应激诱导的认知功能障碍小鼠发生的潜力。
