Alcohol shifts gut microbial networks and ameliorates a murine model of neuroinflammation in a sex-specific pattern

Abstract

Alcohol is a widely consumed dietary component by patients with autoimmune neuroinflammatory diseases, but current evidence on the effects of alcohol in these conditions is confounding. Epidemiological studies suggest moderate consumption of alcohol may be protective in some autoimmune diseases; however, this correlation has not been directly investigated. Here, we characterize the effects of moderate-dose alcohol in a model system of autoimmune neuroinflammation, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Male and female C57BL/6J mice were fed a 2.6% alcohol or isocaloric diet for 3 wk prior to MOG35–55EAE induction. Surprisingly, alcohol-fed males experienced significantly greater disease remission compared to alcohol-fed females and control-fed counterparts. We observed a male-specific decrease in microglial density in alcohol-consuming animals in cervical and thoracic spinal cord in late-stage disease. In the gut, alcohol diet resulted in several sex-specific alterations in key microbiota known for their regulatory immune roles, includingTuricibacter,Akkermansia,Prevotella, andClostridium. Using a correlation network modeling approach, we identified unique bacterial modules that are significantly enriched in response to treatment and sex, composed of Clostridial taxa and several Firmicutes known to be protective in EAE. Together, these data demonstrate the potential of alcohol to significantly alter the course of autoimmunity differentially in males and females via effects on gut bacterial networks and support further need to evaluate dose and sex-specific alcohol effects in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune neuroinflammatory conditions.

Dendropanax morbifera Leaf Extracts Improved Alcohol Liver Injury in Association with Changes in the Gut Microbiota of Rats

“…In this study, we observed that alcohol consumption increased Prevotella and Parasutterella and decreased Clostridium , Turcibacter and Romboutsia , which is in line with the previous reports [ 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 ]. Moreover, alcohol consumption also increased the abundance of some of the gram-negative bacteria (i.e, Porphyromonadaceae and Alloprevotella ).…”

Correlations between α-Linolenic Acid-Improved Multitissue Homeostasis and Gut Microbiota in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

“…Random blood glucose in obese rats was significantly and negatively correlated with the abundance of Turicibacter ( 61 ). Turicibacter also has immunomodulatory ( 62 ) and inflammation-suppressive ( 63 ) effects. The results of these previous studies are consistent with our findings.…”

Traditionally brewed rice beverage alters gut microbiota and metabolites in mice

“…These results motivate further studies to explore the effect of rice beverage on gut microbial communities in a dose-dependent manner. In connection with the emergent reports on the health bene ts of moderate alcohol consumption, this study further opens new dimensions for studying other aspects of consumption of this beverage (Caslin et al 2019;Le Roy et al 2020).…”