Fecal Transplant and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> Treatments Modulate Gut <i>Clostridium</i> Bacteria and Rescue Social Impairment and Hippocampal BDNF Expression in a Rodent Model of Autism
Autism is associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction and gut microbiota dysbiosis, including an overall increase in <i>Clostridium.</i> Modulation of the gut microbiota is suggested to improve autistic symptoms. In this study, we explored the implementation of two different interventio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-08-01
|
| Series: | Brain Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/8/1038 |
| _version_ | 1797524498956681216 |
|---|---|
| author | Sameera Abuaish Norah M. Al-Otaibi Turki S. Abujamel Saleha Ahmad Alzahrani Sohailah Masoud Alotaibi Yasser A. AlShawakir Kawther Aabed Afaf El-Ansary |
| author_facet | Sameera Abuaish Norah M. Al-Otaibi Turki S. Abujamel Saleha Ahmad Alzahrani Sohailah Masoud Alotaibi Yasser A. AlShawakir Kawther Aabed Afaf El-Ansary |
| author_sort | Sameera Abuaish |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Autism is associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction and gut microbiota dysbiosis, including an overall increase in <i>Clostridium.</i> Modulation of the gut microbiota is suggested to improve autistic symptoms. In this study, we explored the implementation of two different interventions that target the microbiota in a rodent model of autism and their effects on social behavior: the levels of different fecal <i>Clostridium</i> spp., and hippocampal transcript levels. Autism was induced in young Sprague Dawley male rats using oral gavage of propionic acid (PPA) for three days, while controls received saline. PPA-treated animals were divided to receive either saline, fecal transplant from healthy donor rats, or <i>Bifidobacterium</i> for 22 days, while controls continued to receive saline. We found that PPA attenuated social interaction in animals, which was rescued by the two interventions. PPA-treated animals had a significantly increased abundance of fecal <i>C. perfringens</i> with a concomitant decrease in <i>Clostridium</i> cluster IV, and exhibited high hippocampal <i>Bdnf</i> expression compared to controls. Fecal microbiota transplantation or <i>Bifidobacterium</i> treatment restored the balance of fecal <i>Clostridium</i> spp. and normalized the level of <i>Bdnf</i> expression. These findings highlight the involvement of the gut–brain axis in the etiology of autism and propose possible interventions in a preclinical model of autism. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:58:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-385e5803aedb4d04b98d1ff35bc2bd8a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:58:16Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-385e5803aedb4d04b98d1ff35bc2bd8a2023-11-22T06:59:05ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252021-08-01118103810.3390/brainsci11081038Fecal Transplant and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> Treatments Modulate Gut <i>Clostridium</i> Bacteria and Rescue Social Impairment and Hippocampal BDNF Expression in a Rodent Model of AutismSameera Abuaish0Norah M. Al-Otaibi1Turki S. Abujamel2Saleha Ahmad Alzahrani3Sohailah Masoud Alotaibi4Yasser A. AlShawakir5Kawther Aabed6Afaf El-Ansary7Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi ArabiaVaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi ArabiaPrince Naif for Health Research Center, King Saud University, P.O. Box 7805, Riyadh 11472, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi ArabiaCentral Laboratory, Female Center for Medical Studies and Scientific Section, King Saud University, P.O. Box 22452, Riyadh 11472, Saudi ArabiaAutism is associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction and gut microbiota dysbiosis, including an overall increase in <i>Clostridium.</i> Modulation of the gut microbiota is suggested to improve autistic symptoms. In this study, we explored the implementation of two different interventions that target the microbiota in a rodent model of autism and their effects on social behavior: the levels of different fecal <i>Clostridium</i> spp., and hippocampal transcript levels. Autism was induced in young Sprague Dawley male rats using oral gavage of propionic acid (PPA) for three days, while controls received saline. PPA-treated animals were divided to receive either saline, fecal transplant from healthy donor rats, or <i>Bifidobacterium</i> for 22 days, while controls continued to receive saline. We found that PPA attenuated social interaction in animals, which was rescued by the two interventions. PPA-treated animals had a significantly increased abundance of fecal <i>C. perfringens</i> with a concomitant decrease in <i>Clostridium</i> cluster IV, and exhibited high hippocampal <i>Bdnf</i> expression compared to controls. Fecal microbiota transplantation or <i>Bifidobacterium</i> treatment restored the balance of fecal <i>Clostridium</i> spp. and normalized the level of <i>Bdnf</i> expression. These findings highlight the involvement of the gut–brain axis in the etiology of autism and propose possible interventions in a preclinical model of autism.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/8/1038autism spectrum disordermicrobiotapropionic acid<i>Clostridium perfringens</i><i>Clostridium</i> cluster IVfecal transplant |
| spellingShingle | Sameera Abuaish Norah M. Al-Otaibi Turki S. Abujamel Saleha Ahmad Alzahrani Sohailah Masoud Alotaibi Yasser A. AlShawakir Kawther Aabed Afaf El-Ansary Fecal Transplant and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> Treatments Modulate Gut <i>Clostridium</i> Bacteria and Rescue Social Impairment and Hippocampal BDNF Expression in a Rodent Model of Autism Brain Sciences autism spectrum disorder microbiota propionic acid <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> <i>Clostridium</i> cluster IV fecal transplant |
| title | Fecal Transplant and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> Treatments Modulate Gut <i>Clostridium</i> Bacteria and Rescue Social Impairment and Hippocampal BDNF Expression in a Rodent Model of Autism |
| title_full | Fecal Transplant and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> Treatments Modulate Gut <i>Clostridium</i> Bacteria and Rescue Social Impairment and Hippocampal BDNF Expression in a Rodent Model of Autism |
| title_fullStr | Fecal Transplant and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> Treatments Modulate Gut <i>Clostridium</i> Bacteria and Rescue Social Impairment and Hippocampal BDNF Expression in a Rodent Model of Autism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fecal Transplant and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> Treatments Modulate Gut <i>Clostridium</i> Bacteria and Rescue Social Impairment and Hippocampal BDNF Expression in a Rodent Model of Autism |
| title_short | Fecal Transplant and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> Treatments Modulate Gut <i>Clostridium</i> Bacteria and Rescue Social Impairment and Hippocampal BDNF Expression in a Rodent Model of Autism |
| title_sort | fecal transplant and i bifidobacterium i treatments modulate gut i clostridium i bacteria and rescue social impairment and hippocampal bdnf expression in a rodent model of autism |
| topic | autism spectrum disorder microbiota propionic acid <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> <i>Clostridium</i> cluster IV fecal transplant |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/8/1038 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sameeraabuaish fecaltransplantandibifidobacteriumitreatmentsmodulateguticlostridiumibacteriaandrescuesocialimpairmentandhippocampalbdnfexpressioninarodentmodelofautism AT norahmalotaibi fecaltransplantandibifidobacteriumitreatmentsmodulateguticlostridiumibacteriaandrescuesocialimpairmentandhippocampalbdnfexpressioninarodentmodelofautism AT turkisabujamel fecaltransplantandibifidobacteriumitreatmentsmodulateguticlostridiumibacteriaandrescuesocialimpairmentandhippocampalbdnfexpressioninarodentmodelofautism AT salehaahmadalzahrani fecaltransplantandibifidobacteriumitreatmentsmodulateguticlostridiumibacteriaandrescuesocialimpairmentandhippocampalbdnfexpressioninarodentmodelofautism AT sohailahmasoudalotaibi fecaltransplantandibifidobacteriumitreatmentsmodulateguticlostridiumibacteriaandrescuesocialimpairmentandhippocampalbdnfexpressioninarodentmodelofautism AT yasseraalshawakir fecaltransplantandibifidobacteriumitreatmentsmodulateguticlostridiumibacteriaandrescuesocialimpairmentandhippocampalbdnfexpressioninarodentmodelofautism AT kawtheraabed fecaltransplantandibifidobacteriumitreatmentsmodulateguticlostridiumibacteriaandrescuesocialimpairmentandhippocampalbdnfexpressioninarodentmodelofautism AT afafelansary fecaltransplantandibifidobacteriumitreatmentsmodulateguticlostridiumibacteriaandrescuesocialimpairmentandhippocampalbdnfexpressioninarodentmodelofautism |