# Ablation of Gut Microbiota Alleviates DON-Induced Neurobehavioral Abnormalities and Brain Damage in Mice

## TL;DR

Removing gut bacteria in mice reduced brain damage and behavior issues caused by a harmful substance called DON.

## Contribution

This study shows for the first time that gut microbiota ablation can alleviate DON-induced neurotoxicity in mice.

## Key findings

- Mice without gut microbiota showed less anxiety and better learning after DON exposure.
- Brain tissue in mice with intact microbiota showed neuronal shrinkage and cortical edema after DON exposure.
- Levels of tight junction and anti-inflammatory proteins were lower in mice with intact microbiota after DON exposure.

## Abstract

Background: Deoxynivalenol (DON) poses a threat to animal and human health, particularly causing damage to the nervous system. Intestinal flora can regulate the nervous system through the gut–brain axis; however, there is currently a lack of evidence on the effect of changing the intestinal flora on the damage to the nervous system caused by DON. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of gut microbiota ablation on neurotoxicity induced by exposure to deoxynivalenol. Methods: One hundred-twenty (120) specific pathogen-free (SPF) male C57BL/6j mice were randomly divided into four groups (control group, microbiota-uncleaned group + 5 mg/kg/BW DON, microbiota-cleared group, and microbiota-cleared group + 5 mg/kg/BW DON). The open field and Morris behavior tests were used to evaluate behavior changes after DON exposure. After 14 days of treatment, the mice were euthanized and brain tissues were collected for further analysis. Results: The tests showed that DON exposure led to anxiety and decreased learning ability in mice with no gut microbiota ablation. We also observed pathological changes including neuronal shrinkage, degeneration, and cortical edema in the mice with no microbiota ablation after DON exposure. In addition, the protein and mRNA levels of tight junction proteins and anti-inflammatory factors were decreased in the mice with no microbiota ablation after DON exposure compared with mice with ablated microbiota. Conclusions: We concluded that the presence of microbiota plays a key role in the neurotoxicity induced by DON; thus, ablation of the intestinal microbiota can effectively improve brain damage caused by DON.