Spinal cord injury-induced gut dysbiosis influences neurological recovery partly through short-chain fatty acids.

ABSTRACT: Spinal cord injury (SCI) can reshape gut microbial composition, significantly affecting clinical outcomes in SCI patients. However, mechanisms regarding gut-brain interactions and their clinical implications have not been elucidated. We hypothesized that short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), intestinal microbial bioactive metabolites, may significantly affect the gut-brain axis and enhance functional recovery in a mouse model of SCI. We enrolled 59 SCI patients and 27 healthy control subjects and collected samples. Thereafter, gut microbiota and SCFAs were analyzed using 16 S rDNA sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, respectively. We observed an increase in Actinobacteriota abundance and a decrease in Firmicutes abundance. Particularly, the SCFA-producing genera, such as Faecali

SUBMITTER: Jing Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10719379 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature