Project description:In summary, a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of the possible DEGs and pathways involved in tMCAO rats with cognitive impairment and Sham rats was conducted. DEGs, such as Acta2, Calb2, Cxcl12, as well as the intestinal immune and steroid biosynthesis may play a pivotal role in mechanism of PSCI.
Project description:Background: The long-term high-fat, high-sugar diet exacerbates type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-related cognitive impairments. The negative impact of poor dietary patterns on brain development and neurological function may be related to gut microbiota disturbance. The role of phlorizin in mitigating glucose and lipid metabolism disorders is well documented. However, the protective effect of phlorizin on diabetes-related cognitive dysfunction is unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of phlorizin on high-fat and high-fructose diet (HFFD)-induced cognitive dysfunction and evaluate the crucial role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Results: Dietary supplementation of phlorizin for 14 weeks effectively prevented glucolipid metabolism disorder, spatial learning impairment, and memory impairment in HFFD mice. In addition, phlorizin improved the HFFD-induced decrease in synaptic plasticity, neuroinflammation, and excessive activation of microglia in the hippocampus. Transcriptomics analysis shows that the protective effect of phlorizin on cognitive impairment was associated with increased expression of neurotransmitters and synapse-related genes in the hippocampus. Phlorizin treatment alleviated colon microbiota disturbance, mainly manifested by an increase in gut microbiota diversity and the abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria. The level of microbial metabolites, including SCFA, inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP), and D (-)-beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) were also significantly increased after phlorizin treatment. Moreover, integrating multiomics analysis observed tight connections between phlorizin-regulated genes, microbiota, and metabolites. Furthermore, removal of the gut microbiota via antibiotics treatment diminished the protective effect of phlorizin against HFFD-induced cognitive impairment, underscoring the critical role of the gut microbiota in mediating cognitive behavior. Importantly, supplementation with SCFA and BHB alone mimicked the regulatory effects of phlorizin on cognitive function. Conclusions: These results indicate that gut microbiota and their metabolites mediate the ameliorative effect of phlorizin on HFFD-induced cognitive impairment. Therefore, phlorizin can be used as an easy-to-implement nutritional therapy to prevent and alleviate metabolism-related neurodegenerative diseases by targeting the regulation of the microbiome-gut-brain axis.
Project description:Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic, nonspecific inflammatory bowel disease characterized by continuous and diffuse inflammatory changes in the colonic mucosa, requires novel treatment method. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), as a promising physico-chemical treatment method, were used to treat UC rats’ model with novel photosensitizer LD4 in this paper, the treatment effect and mechanism was investigated. LD4-PDT could improve the survival rate of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced UC model rats, decrease expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and increase the expression of glutathione (GSH) and superoxide oxidase (SOD), while protecting the integrity of the intestinal epithelium. LD4-PDT treatment could rebuild the intestinal microflora composition and reprogram the colonic protein profiles in TNBS-induced rats to almost the normal state. Proteomics analysis based upon TNBS-induced UC model rats revealed that Amine oxidase copper-containing 1 (AOC1) was a potential target of LD4-PDT. Novel photosensitizer agent LD4-PDT represents an efficient treatment method for UC, and AOC1 may be a promising target.
Project description:Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with increased risk of cognitive decline although the precise underlying pathogenesis remains obscure. Based on the single-cell RNA sequencing approach applied to the cerebral cortex of a T2D mouse model (db/db), we identified novel regulatory mechanisms underlying diabetes-associated cognitive deficits. Our data adds detail to the highly complex neurovascular pathology associated with T2D and highlights key cell-specific deficits in mitochondrial bioenergetics linked to neuroinflammation, which underlie T2D-linked cognitive impairment.
Project description:Obesity is a growing global concern in adults and youth along with a parallel rise in associated complications, including cognitive impairment. Obesity induces brain inflammation and activates microglia, which contribute to cognitive impairment by aberrantly phagocytosing synaptic spines. Local and systemic signals, such as inflammatory cytokines and metabolites likely participate in obesity-induced microglial activation. However, the precise mechanisms mediating microglial activation during obesity remain incompletely understood. Herein, we leveraged our mouse model of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, which mirrors human obesity, and develops hippocampal-dependent cognitive impairment. We assessed hippocampal microglial activation by morphological and single-cell transcriptomic analysis to evaluate this heterogeneous, functionally diverse, and dynamic class of cells over time after 1 and 3 months of HFD. HFD altered cell-to-cell communication, particularly immune modulation and cellular adhesion signaling, and induced a differential gene expression signature of protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum in a time-dependent manner.