Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Exerts Neuroprotective Effects in a Mouse Spinal Cord Injury Model by Modulating the Microenvironment at the Lesion Site

Microbiology Spectrum, 2022 · DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00177-22 · Published: April 25, 2022

Simple Explanation

This study investigates how fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) affects the spinal cord microenvironment after injury in mice. FMT involves transferring gut bacteria from healthy individuals to patients to improve health. The researchers found that FMT improves tissue preservation, blood flow, and reduces inflammation at the injury site. It also promotes the secretion of substances that support nerve cell survival. They identified b-alanine, a metabolite produced by gut bacteria, as a potential mediator of these beneficial effects. Supplementing b-alanine improved nerve cell survival and blood-spinal cord barrier integrity in injured mice.

Study Duration

4 weeks

Participants

Adult female C57BL/6N mice

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
FMT treatment significantly improved spinal cord tissue sparing, vascular perfusion, and BSCB integrity in SCI mice.
2
FMT suppressed the activation of microglia and astrocytes, reducing inflammation at the injury site.
3
Supplementation of b-alanine in SCI mice reduced BSCB permeability and increased the number of surviving neurons.

Research Summary

This study demonstrates that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can exert neuroprotective effects in a mouse model of spinal cord injury (SCI). FMT treatment improved the microenvironment at the lesion site by enhancing vascular repair, suppressing inflammation, and promoting the secretion of neurotrophic factors. The study identifies b-alanine as a potential mediator of FMT's beneficial effects, as supplementation with b-alanine improved neuronal survival and BSCB integrity in SCI mice.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential of FMT

FMT could be a potential therapeutic strategy for improving outcomes after spinal cord injury by modulating the gut microbiota and its metabolites.

Targeting b-alanine

b-alanine supplementation may be a therapeutic approach to promote neuroprotection and improve outcomes following SCI.

Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis

Further research into the microbiota-gut-brain axis could lead to novel therapeutic interventions for various central nervous system disorders.

Study Limitations

1
The animals were treated with a mixture of antibiotics before injury, which had eliminated most of the native microbiome in the gut.
2
The effects of FMT intervention might have resulted from multiple contributors, and b-alanine alone may not be sufficient to recapitulate all the phenotypes associated with FMT.
3
The study did not examine b-alanine concentration, or carnosine content after b-alanine treatment.

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