Ketogenic diet modifies the gut microbiota in a murine model of autism spectrum disorder

Gastrointestinal dysfunction and gut microbial composition disturbances have been widely reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examines whether gut microbiome disturbances are present in the BTBR(T + tf/j) (BTBR) mouse model of ASD and if the ketogenic diet, a diet previously shown...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular autism 2016-09, Vol.7 (1), p.37-37, Article 37
Main Authors: Newell, Christopher, Bomhof, Marc R, Reimer, Raylene A, Hittel, Dustin S, Rho, Jong M, Shearer, Jane
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Autism Spectrum Disorder - microbiology
Bacteria - isolation & purification
Behavior, Animal
Care and treatment
Cecum - microbiology
Diet, Ketogenic
Disease Models, Animal
Feces - microbiology
Gastrointestinal Microbiome
Genetically modified mice
Health aspects
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms)
Pervasive developmental disorders
Short Report
Social Behavior
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Summary:Gastrointestinal dysfunction and gut microbial composition disturbances have been widely reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examines whether gut microbiome disturbances are present in the BTBR(T + tf/j) (BTBR) mouse model of ASD and if the ketogenic diet, a diet previously shown to elicit therapeutic benefit in this mouse model, is capable of altering the profile. Juvenile male C57BL/6 (B6) and BTBR mice were fed a standard chow (CH, 13 % kcal fat) or ketogenic diet (KD, 75 % kcal fat) for 10-14 days. Following diets, fecal and cecal samples were collected for analysis. Main findings are as follows: (1) gut microbiota compositions of cecal and fecal samples were altered in BTBR compared to control mice, indicating that this model may be of utility in understanding gut-brain interactions in ASD; (2) KD consumption caused an anti-microbial-like effect by significantly decreasing total host bacterial abundance in cecal and fecal matter; (3) specific to BTBR animals, the KD counteracted the common ASD phenotype of a low Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio in both sample types; and (4) the KD reversed elevated Akkermansia muciniphila content in the cecal and fecal matter of BTBR animals. Results indicate that consumption of a KD likely triggers reductions in total gut microbial counts and compositional remodeling in the BTBR mouse. These findings may explain, in part, the ability of a KD to mitigate some of the neurological symptoms associated with ASD in an animal model.
ISSN:2040-2392
2040-2392
DOI:10.1186/s13229-016-0099-3