Gut-brain axis study on the changes of learning and memory ability and intestinal flora in high-altitude de-acclimatization mice
JIANG Weiyi
SUN Yafei
ZHANG Mingzhe
LI Ya
WANG Wenlan
Abstract：Objective To study the changes of learning and memory ability in mice during high-altitude de-acclimatization(HADA),and to explore the gut-brain axis mechanism of intestinal flora changes,so as to provide basis for taking targeted safeguard measures for HADA.Methods A total of 26 Kunming mice were randomly divided into control group and experimental group.The control group was not given any treatment,and the experimental group was given hypobaric hypoxia in the animal hypobaric chamber.Fecal samples were collected immediately after hypoxia and 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing of intestinal flora was performed.The differential flora was screened and the function of the differential flora was analyzed.The learning and memory ability of two groups of mice was tested by Morris water maze test.The pathological changes of hippocampus in mouse brain were observed by Nissl staining.SPSS 17.0 and GraphPad Prism v9.5.1.733 were used for data analysis.Results Morris water maze test showed that HADA could reduce the directional navigation ability of mice(P＜0.05).Nissl staining showed that the degeneration and necrosis of hippocampal neurons in the experimental group was more serious than that in the control group.The intestinal flora analysis showed that there was statistical difference between the control group and the experimental group(P＜0.05).The principal component analysis of microbial structure of the two groups showed that the microbial structure of the experimental group was different from that of the control group(P＜0.05).The histogram of linear discriminant analysis value distribution in linear discriminant analysis effect size showed that there were statistical differences in bacterial species between groups(LDA Score＞2).Conclusion Hypoxia at high altitude can cause disturbance of intestinal flora,and the differential bacteria of intestinal flora mainly focus on aging,infection and degeneration,and these pathways are closely related to learning and memory function.In the period of HADA,it shows degeneration and necrosis of hippocampal neurons and decrease of learning and memory ability,suggesting that HADA may affect intestinal flora,affect the aging and degenerative changes of brain tissue through the gut-brain axis,and thus affect their learning and memory ability during HADA.
Keywords：high-altitude de-acclimatizationintestinal floralearning and memorygut-brain axis
Publication Date：2025-01-27
Online Publishing Date：2026-08-26(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)