The role of gut microbiota in shaping the relapse-remitting and chronic-progressive forms of multiple sclerosis in mouse models

• Published in: Scientific reports 2019-05, Vol.9 (1), p.6923-6923, Article 6923
• Main Authors: Gandy, K. Alexa Orr, Zhang, Jiajia, Nagarkatti, Prakash, Nagarkatti, Mitzi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 38/23; 45/22; 631/250/38; 631/326/2565/2134; 64/60; Animal models; Animals; Autoimmune diseases; Chronic Disease; Discriminant analysis; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Progression; Dysbiosis - complications; Encephalitis; Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis; Feces - microbiology; Female; Firmicutes - physiology; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humanities and Social Sciences; Immunization; Inflammation; Intestinal microflora; Mice; Microbiota; Microorganisms; multidisciplinary; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - complications; Multiple Sclerosis - microbiology; Multiple Sclerosis - pathology; Recurrence; rRNA 16S; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43356-7

Using a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE), we evaluated the role of gut microbiota in modulating chronic-progressive (CP) versus relapse-remitting (RR) forms of the disease. We hypothesized that clinical courses of EAE may be shaped by differential gut microbiota. Metagenomic sequencing of prokaryotic 16S rRNA present in feces from naïve mice and those exhibiting CP-EAE or RR-EAE revealed significantly diverse microbial populations. Microbiota composition was considerably different between naïve strains of mice, suggesting microbial components present in homeostatic conditions may prime mice for divergent courses of disease. Additionally, there were differentially abundant bacteria in CP and RR forms of EAE, indicating a potential role for gut microbiota in shaping tolerant or remittance-favoring, and pathogenic or pro-inflammatory-promoting conditions. Furthermore, immunization to induce EAE led to significant alterations in gut microbiota, some were shared between disease courses and others were course-specific, supporting a role for gut microbial composition in EAE pathogenesis. Moreover, using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) coupled with effect size measurement (LEfSe) to analyze microbial content, biomarkers of each naïve and disease states were identified. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that gut microbiota may determine the susceptibility to CP or RR forms of EAE.