Influence of aerobic exercise training on mice gut microbiota in Parkinson's disease

Tianlun Fan1, Xiating Li2, Xiang Zhang2

  • 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College, Hainan, China.

Insights

Aerobic exercise training (AET) partially improved gut microbiota in Parkinson's disease (PD) mice by altering bacterial abundance. AET did not significantly change species richness or diversity but modulated specific bacterial groups in PD mice.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Neuroscience
  • Exercise Science

Background:

  • Gut microbial dysbiosis is a potential risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD).
  • Exercise generally benefits gut microbiota composition.
  • The impact of aerobic exercise training (AET) on gut microbiota in PD is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of AET on the gut microbial environment in a mouse model of PD.
  • To identify specific bacterial taxa affected by AET in PD mice.

Main Methods:

  • 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on fecal samples from sham-operated mice, PD mice, and PD mice undergoing AET.
  • Comparative analysis of bacterial species richness, diversity, and relative abundance was conducted.

Main Results:

  • AET did not significantly alter species richness or bacterial diversity in PD mice.
  • PD mice showed altered abundance of several bacterial phyla and genera compared to sham mice.
  • AET partly reversed these alterations and increased beneficial bacteria like *Lactobacillus gasseri* in PD mice.

Conclusions:

  • AET can modulate gut microbiota composition in PD mice, partly rescuing dysbiotic changes.
  • Specific bacterial taxa, including *Lactobacillales* and *Lactococcus*, were identified as discriminative in AET-treated mice.
  • AET shows potential for improving the gut microbial environment in Parkinson's disease.