Absence of gut microbiota affects lipid metabolism in the prefrontal cortex of mice

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Lipid metabolism is closely associated with many important biological functions. Here, we conducted this study to explore the effects of gut microbiota on the lipid metabolism in the prefrontal cortex of mice.

Methods: Germ-free (GF) mice, specific pathogen-free (SPF) and colonized GF (CGF) mice were used in this study. The open field test (OFT), forced swimming test (FST) and novelty suppressed feeding test (NSFT) were conducted to assess the changes in general behavioral activity. The liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to obtain the lipid metabolites. Both one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) and orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to obtain the key differential lipid metabolites.

Results: The behavioral tests showed that compared to SPF mice, GF mice had more center distance, more center time, less immobility time and less latency to familiar food. Meanwhile, 142 key differential lipid metabolites between SPF mice and GF mice were identified. These lipid metabolites mainly belonged to glycerophospholipids, glycerolipids, sphingolipids, and saccharolipids. The gut microbiota colonization did not reverse these changed behavioral phenotypes, but could restore 25 key differential lipid metabolites.

Discussion: These results showed that the absence of gut microbiota could influence host behaviors and lipid metabolism. Our findings could provide original and valuable data for future studies to further investigate the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

KEYWORDS:

• Gut microbiota
• lipid metabolism
• metabolites
• prefrontal cortex
• host behaviors

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFA0505700), the Non-profit Central Research Institute Fund of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019PT320002300), the Natural Science Foundation Project of China (81820108015, 81701360, 81601208), the Chongqing Science & Technology Commission (cstc2017jcyjAX0377), and the Special Project on Natural Chronic Non-infectious Diseases (2016YFC1307200).

Notes on contributors

Jian-Jun Chen

Dr. Jian-jun Chen is a researcher in Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University. His research interest is about how the gut microbiota affects the lipid metabolism to cause depression.

Jing Xie

Jing Xie is a doctor in Department of Endocrinology and Nephrology, Chongqing University Central Hospital, Chongqing Emergency Medical Center. She has done many works on diabetes and depression.

Ben-Hua Zeng

Prof. Ben-hua Zeng is a researcher in Huazhong Agricultural University. He is an exporter in the field of gut microbiota.

Wen-Wen Li

Prof. Wen-wen Li is a researcher in Department of Pathology, Faculty of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University. His research interest is the pathogenesis of depression.

Shun-jie Bai

Dr. Shun-jie Bai is a researcher in Department of Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. His research interest is the pathogenesis of depression.

Chanjun Zhou

Prof. Chanjun Zhou is a researcher in NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University. She focuses on the influence of depression on human health.

Wei Chen

Dr. Wei Chen is a researcher in Shanghai Applied Protein Technology Co. Ltd, Shanghai, China. Her major interest is the effect of depression on urinary metabolites.

Hong Wei

Prof. Hong Wei is a researcher in Huazhong Agricultural University. He is an exporter in the field of gut microbiota.

Peng Xie

Prof. Peng Xie is an experienced professor in the Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. He is a Chief Scientist of 863 program, Chief Scientist of 973 National Basic, and keep focus on the translational psychiatry research. He mainly focuses on the Major depression, Bipolar Disorder, Post-traumatic depression and Born Virus infectious Disease study.