Source Paper
Zhe Zhao, Jingwen Ning, Xiu-qi Bao, Meiyu Shang, Jingwei Ma et al.
Microbiome • 2021
Abstract Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, displaying not only well-known motor deficits but also gastrointestinal dysfunctions. Consistently, it has been increasingly evident that gut microbiota affects the communication between the gut and the brain in PD pathogenesis, known as the microbiota-gut-brain axis. As an approach to re-establishing a normal microbiota community, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has exerted beneficial effects on PD in recent studies. Here, in this study, we established a chronic rotenone-induced PD mouse model to evaluate the protective effects of FMT treatment on PD and to explore the underlying mechanisms, which also proves the involvement of gut microbiota dysbiosis in PD pathogenesis via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Results We demonstrated that gut microbiota dysbiosis induced by rotenone administration caused gastrointestinal function impairment and poor behavioral performances in the PD mice. Moreover, 16S RNA sequencing identified the increase of bacterial genera Akkermansia and Desulfovibrio in fecal samples of rotenone-induced mice. By contrast, FMT treatment remarkably restored the gut microbial community, thus ameliorating the gastrointestinal dysfunctions and the motor deficits of the PD mice. Further experiments revealed that FMT administration alleviated intestinal inflammation and barrier destruction, thus reducing the levels of systemic inflammation. Subsequently, FMT treatment attenuated blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment and suppressed neuroinflammation in the substantia nigra (SN), which further decreased the damage of dopaminergic neurons. Additional mechanistic investigation discovered that FMT treatment reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in the colon, the serum, and the SN, thereafter suppressing the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and its downstream pro-inflammatory products both in the SN and the colon. Conclusions Our current study demonstrates that FMT treatment can correct the gut microbiota dysbiosis and ameliorate the rotenone-induced PD mouse model, in which suppression of the inflammation mediated by the LPS-TLR4 signaling pathway both in the gut and the brain possibly plays a significant role. Further, we prove that rotenone-induced microbiota dysbiosis is involved in the genesis of PD via the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
Objective: Evaluation of fecal pellet production, water content, and fecal output over time in mice
This is a Fecal Output Assessment protocol using mouse as the model organism. The procedure involves 9 procedural steps, 3 materials. Extracted from a 2021 paper published in Microbiome.
Model and subjects
mouse • C57BL/6J • male • 8 weeks • 20-22 g • 45
Study window
~6 week study window | ~20 minutes hands-on
Core workflow
Animal acclimation • Animal group assignment • Initial treatment phase (weeks 1-4)
Primary readouts
Key equipment and reagents
Verified items
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Mice were acclimated under standard conditions with 12-hour light/dark cycle, temperature 22±2°C, humidity 50-60%, with ad libitum access to food and water
Note: Humidity maintained at 50-60%
“The mice were then acclimatized (12-h light/dark cycle) under standard conditions (temperature 22 ± 2 °C, humidity 50–60%) with ad libitum access to food and water for 7 days”
45 mice randomly assigned into control group (n=15) and model group (n=30)
Note: Random assignment performed at beginning of study
“A total of 45 mice were randomly assigned into two groups: the control group (n = 15) and the model group (n = 30)”
Model group received daily oral rotenone administration; control group received vehicle administration
Note: Daily administration throughout 4-week period
“In the beginning 4 weeks, the model group received the oral administration of rotenone every day. Meanwhile, the control group mice were administrated with vehicle”
After 4 weeks, model group mice randomly divided into two groups: Rotenone group (n=15) and FMT group (n=15)
Note: Random division of model group performed at week 4
“After 4 weeks, we randomly divided the model group mice into two groups: Rotenone group (n = 15) and FMT group (n = 15)”
FMT group received FMT treatment once per day; control and rotenone groups received vehicle administration once per day
Note: Daily administration during weeks 5-6
“During week 5 and 6, the mice in the FMT group were treated with FMT once per day. In the meantime, the control group and the rotenone group mice received vehicle administration once a day”
All mice weighed daily throughout experimental period
Note: Daily measurements recorded for all groups
“These mice were daily weighed for 6 weeks”
Fecal pellets collected and analyzed for water content and total pellet count; fecal output measured over 20-minute time course
Note: Measurements performed at week 6; n=15 for each group for pellet count and water percentage; water percentages and total pellet numbers recorded
“I Water percentages of fecal pellets. J Numbers of total fecal pellets. K Time course of fecal output over 20 min. For B – F and I – K, n = 15 for each group”
Gastrointestinal function tests and behavioral tests performed at week 6
Note: Tests performed at endpoint before sacrifice
“In addition, GI function tests and behavioral tests were performed at week 6”
All mice sacrificed at week 6 for further analysis
Note: Endpoint of study
“All the mice were sacrificed at week 6 for further analysis”
This section explains what the experiment is doing, which readouts matter, what the data artifacts usually look like, and how the analysis should flow from raw capture to reported result.
Evaluation of fecal pellet production, water content, and fecal output over time in mice
Objective
Evaluation of fecal pellet production, water content, and fecal output over time in mice
Subjects
From papermouse • C57BL/6J • male • 8 weeks • 20-22 g
Sample count
From paper45
Cohort notes
From paperMice purchased from Beijing Vital River Laboratory Animal Technology Co.
Animal acclimation (7 days)
Animal group assignment
Initial treatment phase (weeks 1-4) (4 weeks)
Secondary group division
Water percentages of fecal pellets
From paperData presented as mean ± SD; statistical comparisons made using ## P < 0.01, ### p < 0.001 versus control group; * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001 versus rotenone group
Artifact type
Endpoint measurements summarized by group or timepoint
Comparison focus
Compare endpoint magnitude between groups, timepoints, or both
Numbers of total fecal pellets
From paperData presented as mean ± SD; statistical comparisons made using ## P < 0.01, ### p < 0.001 versus control group; * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001 versus rotenone group
Artifact type
Endpoint measurements summarized by group or timepoint
Comparison focus
Compare endpoint magnitude between groups, timepoints, or both
Time course of fecal output over 20 minutes
From paperData presented as mean ± SD; statistical comparisons made using ## P < 0.01, ### p < 0.001 versus control group; * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001 versus rotenone group
Artifact type
Endpoint measurements summarized by group or timepoint
Comparison focus
Compare endpoint magnitude between groups, timepoints, or both
Body weights (weeks 5-6)
From paperData presented as mean ± SD; statistical comparisons made using ## P < 0.01, ### p < 0.001 versus control group; * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001 versus rotenone group
Artifact type
Endpoint measurements summarized by group or timepoint
Comparison focus
Compare endpoint magnitude between groups, timepoints, or both
Water percentages of fecal pellets
From paperRaw artifact
Per-sample or per-animal endpoint measurements collected during the experiment
Processed artifact
Structured table with cleaned measurements ready for comparison
Final reported form
Summary statistics and between-group or across-timepoint comparisons
Numbers of total fecal pellets
From paperRaw artifact
Per-sample or per-animal endpoint measurements collected during the experiment
Processed artifact
Structured table with cleaned measurements ready for comparison
Final reported form
Summary statistics and between-group or across-timepoint comparisons
Time course of fecal output over 20 minutes
From paperRaw artifact
Per-sample or per-animal endpoint measurements collected during the experiment
Processed artifact
Structured table with cleaned measurements ready for comparison
Final reported form
Summary statistics and between-group or across-timepoint comparisons
Body weights (weeks 5-6)
From paperRaw artifact
Per-sample or per-animal endpoint measurements collected during the experiment
Processed artifact
Structured table with cleaned measurements ready for comparison
Final reported form
Summary statistics and between-group or across-timepoint comparisons
Acquisition
Collect raw experimental outputs with enough metadata to preserve sample identity, condition, and timing.
Preprocessing / cleaning
Data presented as mean ± SD; statistical comparisons made using ## P < 0.01, ### p < 0.001 versus control group; * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001 versus rotenone group
Scoring or quantification
Quantify the primary readouts for this experiment: Water percentages of fecal pellets; Numbers of total fecal pellets; Time course of fecal output over 20 minutes; Body weights (weeks 5-6).
Statistical comparison
Statistical method not yet structured for this page.
Reporting output
Report representative outputs alongside summary comparisons for Water percentages of fecal pellets, Numbers of total fecal pellets, Time course of fecal output over 20 minutes, Body weights (weeks 5-6).
Source links and direct wording from the methods section for validation and deeper review.
Citation
Zhe Zhao et al. (2021). Fecal microbiota transplantation protects rotenone-induced Parkinson’s disease mice via suppressing inflammation mediated by the lipopolysaccharide-TLR4 signaling pathway through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Microbiome
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