State of the parietietal-luminal microbiota of the distal colon of Wistar rats during experimental acute cerebral ischemia

The “microbiota-gut-brain” axis plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. However; changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota in the acute period of ischemic stroke remain insufficiently studied; which determines the need for experimental research.

The aim. To study the changes in the composition of the parietal-luminal microbiota of the distal colon of Wistar rats in experimental acute cerebral ischemia.

Materials and methods. The study was performed on 20 sexually mature male Wistar rats; divided into 2 groups: group I (n = 10) – intact animals; group II (n = 10) – animals with experimental acute cerebral ischemia (EACI); modeled by the method of Chen S.T. Composition of the parietal luminal microbiota of the distal colon. The intestines of the animals were evaluated on day 3 by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The total bacterial mass (GE/ml); the frequency of detection of microorganisms (n (%)); and the quantitative structure of the parietal-luminal microbiota (lg GE/ml) were determined.

Results. On the 3 day from the start of the experiment; the total bacterial mass in animals of the EACI group (10 GE/ml) did not differ from the same indicator in animals of the intact group (p = 1.000). The dominant microorganisms in both groups were Lacticaseibacillus spp.; Bifidobacterium spp.; Escherichia coli; Bacteroides spp.; while the spectrum of the accompanying parietal-luminal microbiota was different. Thus; Enterobacter spp. was not detected in animals with EACI and Klebsiella pneumoniae; but Clostridioides difficile and Fusobacterium nucleatum were recorded; in contrast to similar indicators of the group of intact animals. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Staphylococcus aureus were found in both groups.

Conclusions. On day 3; EACI in Wistar rats was accompanied by selective restructuring of the parietal luminal microbiota of the distal colon; associated with the appearance of C. difficile; F. nucleatum and the disappearance of Enterobacter spp.; K. pneumoniae; which may indicate an imbalance of the autochthonous microbiota; while maintaining the total bacterial mass and dominant symbiotic populations (Lacticaseibacillus spp.; Bifidobacterium spp.; E. coli; Bacteroides spp.) reflects the stability of the basic microbial profile in cerebral ischemia.

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