Exposure to microgravity leads to alterations in multiple systems, but microgravity-related changes in the gastrointestinal tract and its clinical significance have not been well studied. We used the hindlimb unloading (HU) mouse model to simulate a microgravity condition and investigated the changes in intestinal microbiota and colonic epithelial cells. Compared with ground-based controls (Ctrls), HU affected fecal microbiota composition with a profile that was characterized by the expansion of Firmicutes and decrease of Bacteroidetes. The colon epithelium of HU mice showed decreased goblet cell numbers, reduced epithelial cell turnover, and decreased expression of genes that are involved in defense and inflammatory responses. As a result, increased susceptibility to dextran sulfate sodium-induced epithelial injury was observed in HU mice. Cohousing of Ctrl mice with HU mice resulted in HUlike epithelial changes in Ctrl mice. Transplantation of feces from Ctrl to HU mice alleviated these epithelial changes in HU mice. Results indicate that HU changes intestinal microbiota, which leads to altered colonic epithelial cell homeostasis, impaired barrier function, and increased susceptibility to colitis. We further demonstrate that alteration in gastrointestinal motility may contribute to HU-associated dysbiosis. These animal results emphasize the necessity of evaluating astronauts' intestinal homeostasis during distant space travel.-Shi, J., Wang, Y., He, J., Li, P., Jin, R., Wang, K., Xu, X., Hao, J., Zhang, Y., Liu, H., Chen, X., Wu, H., Ge, Q. Intestinal microbiota contributes to colonic epithelial changes in simulated microgravity mouse model. FASEB J. 31, 3695-3709 (2017 Exposure to microgravity leads to alterations, such as bone demineralization, muscle atrophy, cardiovascular deconditioning, and immune dysfunction, in multiple systems (1). Limited reports also suggest that spaceflight and microgravity affect the integrity of intestinal epithelium. For instance, reduced length of villi and depth of crypts was found in rats that were flown on 12-d Cosmos 2044 and Foton M3 missions (2, 3), and decreased mucin production of intestinal epithelial cells was shown in rats that were flown on the 19.5-d Cosmos 605 mission (4). Colonic TGF-b expression was altered in mice aboard the 13-d STS-135 or 91-d International Space Station missions (5, 6). Using a well-accepted, ground-based spaceflight analog, the hindlimb unloading (HU) mouse model (7) found that simulated microgravity resulted in a transient increase in intestinal permeability, which is characterized by the elevation of circulating LPS and the activation of the innate immune system. The clinical significance and mechanism of these epithelial changes are not clear; however, Chopra et al. (8) reported that HU mice that were infected with Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium had a 100-fold decrease in LD 50 compared with normal-gravity control (Ctrl) mice. This indicates that microgravity-induced intestinal epithelial changes may exacerbate bacte...