Gut microbiota is necessary for pair-housing to protect against post-stroke depression in mice

• Published in: Experimental neurology 2024-08, Vol.378, p.114834, Article 114834
• Main Authors: Jiang, Su-ting, Sun, Yao-huan, Li, Ya, Wang, Meng-qing, Wang, Xu-yang, Dong, Yin-feng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Gut microbiota; Gut-brain axis; Pair housing; Post-stroke depression; Social isolation
• ISSN: 0014-4886; 1090-2430; 1090-2430
• DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114834

The goal of this study is to investigate the role of microbiota-gut-brain axis involved in the protective effect of pair-housing on post-stroke depression (PSD). PSD model was induced by occluding the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) plus restraint stress for four weeks. At three days after MCAO, the mice were restrained 2 h per day. For pair-housing (PH), each mouse was pair housed with a healthy isosexual cohabitor for four weeks. While in the other PH group, their drinking water was replaced with antibiotic water. On day 35 to day 40, anxiety- and depression-like behaviors (sucrose consumption, open field test, forced swim test, and tail-suspension test) were conducted. Results showed pair-housed mice had better performance on anxiety- and depression-like behaviors than the PSD mice, and the richness and diversity of intestinal flora were also improved. However, drinking antibiotic water reversed the effects of pair-housing. Furthermore, pair-housing had an obvious improvement in gut barrier disorder and inflammation caused by PSD. Particularly, they showed significant decreases in CD8 lymphocytes and mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-a, IL-1β and IL-6), while IL-10 mRNA was upregulated. In addition, pair-housing significantly reduced activated microglia and increased Nissl's body in the hippocampus of PSD mice. However, all these improvements were worse in the pair-housed mice administrated with antibiotic water. We conclude that pair-housing significantly improves PSD in association with enhanced functions of microbiota-gut-brain axis, and homeostasis of gut microbiota is indispensable for the protective effect of pair-housing on PSD. [Display omitted] •Disturbances in microbiota-gut-brain axis are involved in post-stroke depression (PSD).•Pair-housing significantly improves PSD in mice with enhanced functions of microbiota-gut-brain axis.•Homeostasis of gut microbiota is indispensable for the protective effect of pair-housing on PSD.