Refined diet consumption increases neuroinflammatory signalling through bile acid dysmetabolism

• Published in: Nutritional neuroscience 2024-10, Vol.27 (10), p.1088-1101
• Main Authors: Connell, Emily, Blokker, Britt, Kellingray, Lee, Le Gall, Gwénaëlle, Philo, Mark, Pontifex, Matthew G, Narbad, Arjan, Müller, Michael, Vauzour, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bile Acids and Salts - metabolism; Brain - metabolism; Brain-Gut Axis - physiology; Colon - metabolism; Colon - microbiology; Diet; Diet, Fat-Restricted; Dysbiosis; Fatty Acids, Volatile - metabolism; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neuroinflammatory Diseases - metabolism; Signal Transduction
• ISSN: 1028-415X; 1476-8305; 1476-8305
• DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2023.2301165

Over recent decades, dietary patterns have changed significantly due to the increasing availability of convenient, ultra-processed refined foods. Refined foods are commonly depleted of key bioactive compounds, which have been associated with several deleterious health conditions. As the gut microbiome can influence the brain through a bidirectional communication system known as the 'microbiota-gut-brain axis', the consumption of refined foods has the potential to affect cognitive health. In this study, multi-omics approaches were employed to assess the effect of a refined diet on the microbiota-gut-brain axis, with a particular focus on bile acid metabolism. Mice maintained on a refined low-fat diet (rLFD), consisting of high sucrose, processed carbohydrates and low fibre content, for eight weeks displayed significant gut microbial dysbiosis, as indicated by diminished alpha diversity metrics (