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. 2022 Nov 30;17(11):e0278259.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278259. eCollection 2022.

Age matters: Microbiome depletion prior to repeat mild traumatic brain injury differentially alters microbial composition and function in adolescent and adult rats

Affiliations

Age matters: Microbiome depletion prior to repeat mild traumatic brain injury differentially alters microbial composition and function in adolescent and adult rats

Marissa Sgro et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Dysregulation of the gut microbiome has been shown to perpetuate neuroinflammation, alter intestinal permeability, and modify repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (RmTBI)-induced deficits. However, there have been no investigations regarding the comparative effects that the microbiome may have on RmTBI in adolescents and adults. Therefore, we examined the influence of microbiome depletion prior to RmTBI on microbial composition and metabolome, in adolescent and adult Sprague Dawley rats. Rats were randomly assigned to standard or antibiotic drinking water for 14 days, and to subsequent sham or RmTBIs. The gut microbiome composition and metabolome were analysed at baseline, 1 day after the first mTBI, and at euthanasia (11 days following the third mTBI). At euthanasia, intestinal samples were also collected to quantify tight junction protein (TJP1 and occludin) expression. Adolescents were significantly more susceptible to microbiome depletion via antibiotic administration which increased pro-inflammatory composition and metabolites. Furthermore, RmTBI induced a transient increase in 'beneficial bacteria' (Lachnospiraceae and Faecalibaculum) in only adolescents that may indicate compensatory action in response to the injury. Finally, microbiome depletion prior to RmTBI generated a microbiome composition and metabolome that exemplified a potentially chronic pathogenic and inflammatory state as demonstrated by increased Clostridium innocuum and Erysipelatoclostridium and reductions in Bacteroides and Clostridium Sensu Stricto. Results highlight that adolescents are more vulnerable to RmTBI compared to adults and dysbiosis prior to injury may exacerbate secondary inflammatory cascades.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
A) Flowchart detailing experimental groups and group sizes; B) Experimental timeline illustrating order and day of procedures. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, day 17, and day 30 were utilized for 16s rRNA sequencing and metabolomics.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Animal characteristics.
(A) Confirms depletion of the gut microbiome, as rats on the antibiotic cocktail had a significantly reduced mean nucleic acid concentrations (B,C) Confirm injury induction as rats that received RmTBI demonstrated significantly longer time-to-rights compared to shams (B) and rats that received RmTBI had significantly shorter times on rotarod compared to shams (C). Finally, adult rats weighed more than adolescents, but antibiotic treatment and RmTBI did not affect average weight (D). Graphs are shown as means ± SEM, * represent significant difference, p < .05.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Comparison of healthy adolescent and adult microbial and metabolomic profiles.
(A) Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showing bacterial ordination by age group at baseline. (B) Bacterial Shannon diversity boxplots, and (C) Taxonomy composition barplots, comparing age groups at baseline, day 17 and day 30. (D) Heatmap, and (E) Boxplots, of differentially abundant ASVs between age groups over time points. (F) Principal component analysis (PCA) showing metabolomic ordination by age group at baseline. (G) Heatmap, and (H) Boxplots, of differentially abundant metabolites between age groups over time points. Boxplots are indicative of median, interquartile range (IQR) (boxes) and 1.5x IQR (whiskers). *, p < 0.05; n.s., not significant.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Short-term impact of antibiotics on adolescent and adult microbial and metabolomic profiles.
(A) Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showing bacterial ordination by age group and treatment at day 17. (B) Bacterial Shannon diversity boxplots, and (C) Taxonomy composition barplots, comparing treatment and age groups at day 17. (D) Heatmap of differentially abundant ASVs between treatment groups at day 17. (E) Boxplot, of differentially abundant ASVs between treatment and age groups at day 17. (F) Principal component analysis (PCA) showing metabolomic ordination by age group and treatment at day 17. (G) Heatmap of differentially abundant metabolites between treatment groups at day 17. Boxplots are indicative of median, interquartile range (IQR) (boxes) and 1.5x IQR (whiskers). *, p < 0.05; n.s., not significant.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Comparison of antibiotic-treated adolescent and adult microbial and metabolomic profiles.
(A) Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showing bacterial ordination by age group and treatment at day 30. (B) Bacterial Shannon diversity boxplots, and (C) Taxonomy composition barplots, comparing treatment and age groups at day 30. (D) Heatmap of differentially abundant ASVs between treatment groups at day 30. (E) Principal component analysis (PCA) showing metabolomic ordination by age group and treatment at day 30. (F) Heatmap of differentially abundant metabolites between treatment groups at day 30. (G) Boxplots of differentially abundant metabolites between age groups at day 30. Boxplots are indicative of median, interquartile range (IQR) (boxes) and 1.5x IQR (whiskers). n.s., not significant.
Fig 6
Fig 6. Comparison of placebo RmTBI adolescent and adult microbial and metabolomic profiles.
(A) Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showing bacterial ordination by age group and injury at day 30. (B) Bacterial Shannon diversity boxplots, and (C) Taxonomy composition barplots, comparing injury and age groups at day 30. (D) Principal component analysis (PCA) showing metabolomic ordination by age group and injury at day 30. (E) Boxplots of differentially abundant ASVs between adolescent injury groups at day 17. Boxplots are indicative of median, interquartile range (IQR) (boxes) and 1.5x IQR (whiskers). n.s., not significant.
Fig 7
Fig 7. Comparison of antibiotic RmTBI adolescent and adult microbial and metabolomic profiles.
(A) Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showing bacterial ordination by age group and injury at day 30. (B) Bacterial Shannon diversity boxplots, and (C) Taxonomy composition barplots, comparing injury and age groups at day 30. (D) Principal component analysis (PCA) showing metabolomic ordination by age group and injury at day 30. Boxplots are indicative of median, interquartile range (IQR) (boxes) and 1.5x IQR (whiskers). n.s., not significant.
Fig 8
Fig 8. Comparison of antibiotic and placebo RmTBI adolescent and adult microbial and metabolomic profiles.
(A) Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showing bacterial ordination by age group and treatment at day 30. (B) Bacterial Shannon diversity boxplots, and (C) Taxonomy composition barplots, comparing treatment and age groups at day 30. (D) Heatmap of differentially abundant ASVs between treatment groups at day 30. (E) Principal component analysis (PCA) showing metabolomic ordination by age group and treatment at day 30. (F) Heatmap of differentially abundant metabolites between treatment groups at day 30. (G) Venn diagrams showing unique hits to the antibiotic groups. Top: ASVs. Bottom: Metabolites. (H) Boxplots of differentially abundant ASVs (left) and metabolites (right) unique to the antibiotic RmTBI group at day 30, compared with trends in the Sham group. Boxplots are indicative of median, interquartile range (IQR) (boxes) and 1.5x IQR (whiskers). n.s., not significant.
Fig 9
Fig 9. Gene expression of intestinal tight junction proteins TJP1 and Occludin.
Means and individual data points ± standard error are shown. (#) indicates a main effect of treatment, (φ) indicates a significant interaction; p’s < .05. A) Displays TJP1 concentration, whereby antibiotics groups had increased expression of TJP1, B) Displays occludin concentration, whereby interactions observed were Injury*Age whereby expression was increased in placebo+RmTBI and antibiotic+RmTBI adolescent rats and reduced in placebo+RmTBI and antibiotic+RmTBI adult rats.

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