Exposure to DSS produces signs of gut inflammation and disease
Dextran Sodium Sulfate is widely used to model gut inflammation in rodents, with excellent face validity (Chassaing et al. 2014). In our study, exposure to DSS in the drinking water led to expected signs of disease. Mice exposed to DSS for 3 cycles exhibited significant weight loss relative to controls (Two-way Rm ANOVA F1,14 = 41.48, p < 0.0001; Fig. 2A). Further, expression of the pro-inflammatory mediator lipocalin-2 (Lcn2) was significantly elevated in the feces among DSS-treated mice throughout the study (Mixed-effects model F1,14=19.70, p = 0.0006; Fig. 2B). The disease activity index was increased after final cycle of DSS in DSS-treated animals compared to controls (One way Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, W = 36, p = 0.0078; Fig. 2C). Colon length was reduced, but not significantly, among mice exposed to DSS (Students t-test, t = 1.064; Fig. 2D). Overall, mice chronically exposed to DSS exhibited increased weight loss, disease activity, and increased fecal lipocalin-2 expression relative to controls, indicating that DSS treatment evoked the expected inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
Transcript Selection
The objective of the study was to determine if DSS-colitis more strongly affects neurons in brain regions associated with anxiety and depression (e.g. limbic structures) as compared to other structures. Four brain regions were selected, based on their well-recognized role in goal-directed and threat-coping behaviors that are altered in anxiety and depression; the CA1 of the hippocampus, the ACC, and the NAc. The motor cortex (M1) was selected as a control region (Supplementary Fig. 1). A panel of 9 different primers were selected to assess several transcriptional programs in neurons that may be modulated by gut inflammation (Table 2). Three transcripts were selected to assess how gut inflammation may affect mitochondrial function in the brain. Inflammation has been shown to affect mitochondrial network dynamics and mitochondrial function. Mitochondria form dynamic networks that undergo fusion and fission to maintain cellular energetic requirements. These structural changes are mediated by several fusion and fission proteins, including Mfn2, and Drp1, respectively. Mt-Co1 encodes for a subunit of complex IV in the electron transport chain in mitochondria, by which the process of oxidative phosphorylation generates cellular energy in the form of ATP. Thus, its expression regulates energy production in mitochondria. Inflammation can promote oxidative stress. Therefore, we selected two transcripts to assess how gut inflammation affects oxidative stress responses in the brain. Nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates antioxidant response elements, while Gpx1 encodes for glutathione peroxidase 1, an enzyme that works with glutathione as a key neuronal antioxidant. Our previous research has revealed that acute DSS alters spine density in CA1, as well as the fraction of neurons activated by the forced swim task (Chelsea E. Matisz et al. 2022). Therefore, to assess how chronic DSS may affect pre- and post-synaptic elements and neuronal activation, we assessed transcript expression of Snap25, Psd95, and cFos. Animals were subjected to a 6-minute forced swim task (FST) prior to euthanization in order to (i) test for changes in active threat coping or depressive endophenotypes, and (ii) provide a stressor to activate neurons in the limbic system and motor cortex. Mice previously given DSS exhibited similar mobility time during the FST relative to controls (t = 0.43; Fig. 2E), in alignment with previous reports (Chelsea E. Matisz et al. 2020). Finally, because GABAergic transmission has been implicated in anxiety and depression, we assessed Gad1 expression. Gad1 mRNA encodes for the rate-limiting enzyme glutamate decarboxylase 67, which is responsible for over 90% of basal GABA synthesis (Asada et al. 1997).
Table 2
List of selected genes examined in the present study and their function
Gene name (transcript)
|
Function
|
Mfn2
|
Mitofusin2; Regulates mitochondrial fusion
|
Drp1
|
Dynamin-related protein; Regulates mitochondrial fission
|
Mt-Co1
|
Cytochrome C oxidase subunit I; Mitochondria-encoded gene important for oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production
|
CFos
|
Early immediate gene, expressed by recently activated cells, inducing neurons
|
Gad1
|
Precursor to GABA, inhibitory neurotransmitter
|
Nrf2
|
Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; Regulates cellular defense against oxidative stress
|
Gpx1
|
Glutathione peroxidase; antioxidant enzyme
|
Psd95
|
Postsynaptic density 95kda; regulates retention of glutamate receptors
|
Snap25
|
Synaptosome associated protein 25kda; participates in synaptic vesicle exocytosis of neurotransmitters
|
Regional differences in basal transcript expression
We first examined how expression of the selected transcripts varied among brain structures in control animals (Supplementary Fig. 2; Supplementary Table 1). The NAc exhibited an expression profile that most differed from the other structures. The expression of Gad1 (F3,20) = 29.56, p < 0.001) was significantly highest in the NAc relative to all other structures (Tukey’s test for ACC and Ca1, NAc, and M1 are all p < 0.001). This is not surprising, as GABAergic medium spiny neurons are the dominant neuronal cell in the striatum (Yager et al. 2015). Interestingly, the NAc also possessed highest expression of Gpx1 (F3,20) = 76.18, p < 0.001) relative to all other structures (p < 0.0001). The NAc expressed significantly higher expression of Mt-Co1 (F3,20) = 7.554, p = 0.0014) and Psd95 (F3,20) = 8.062, p = 0.0010) compared to the ACC (Mt-co1, p = 0.0060; Psd95, p = 0.0013) and M1 ( Mt-co1, p = x ; Psd95, p = 0.0033, and significantly lower expression of Snap25 relative to CA1 and M1. The CA1 and NAc displayed lowest expression of cFos relative to the ACC and MA (F3,20=12.21, p < 0.0001; CA1 vs. ACC p = 0.0004; CA1 vs. M1, p = 0.0026; NAc vs. ACC p = 0.002, NAc vs. M1 p = 0.014), and highest expression of Nrf2, relative to the ACC and M1 (F3,20=20.30, p < 0.0001; CA1 vs. ACC p < 0.0001; CA1 vs. M1 p < 0.0001; NAc vs ACC p = 0.002; NAc vs. M1 p = 0.0053). No differences in the expression of Mfn2 (F3,20=0.6606, p = 0.59) and Drp1 (F3,20=1.070, p = 0.38) were observed among neural structures in control animals.
Gut inflammation alters expression of selected gene transcripts in regional manner
We next compared the structure-specific expression of transcripts between treatment groups. Exposure to DSS altered the expression of several transcripts, in a region-specific manner (Table 3). The CA1 of the HPC was most affected by exposure to DSS; expression of 6 of the 9 transcripts were different (Fig. 3B,C). Specifically, cFos (t = 2.94, p = 0.015), Drp1 (t = 2.64, p = 0.025), Gad1 (t = 2.27, p = 0.046) and Snap25 (t = 2.29, p = 0.045) expression was significantly elevated in the CA1 among DSS-treated mice relative to controls. Conversely, Nrf2 (t = 3.91, p = 0.0029) and Gpx1 (t = 6.707 p = 0.000053) were significantly reduced in the CA1 of DSS-treated mice. Mt-Co1 approached significance (t = 2.092, p = 0.063). The expression of Mt-Co1 was significantly reduced in the NAc (t = 5.19, p = 0.00041) and ACC (t = 2.722, p = 0.021), and Gpx (t = 1 3.29, p = 0.0082) was significantly reduced in the NAc of mice with DSS relative to controls (Fig. 3B,C). Treatment did not significantly affect the expression of any selected transcripts in the M1. These data indicate that chronic gut inflammation promotes heterogenous responses of different transcripts that vary among brain regions.
Table 3
T-test and p-value for comparisons between control and DSS exposed animals in different regions N = 6 male mice per treatment group. Data shown in Fig. 3.
Gene
|
Region
|
T ratio
|
P value
|
Drp1
|
ACC
|
1.04
|
0.32
|
CA1
|
2.64
|
0.02
|
NAc
|
1.08
|
0.30
|
M1
|
0.13
|
0.90
|
Mfn2
|
ACC
|
0.31
|
0.76
|
CA1
|
1.62
|
0.14
|
NAc
|
0.29
|
0.78
|
M1
|
0.26
|
0.80
|
Mt-Co1
|
ACC
|
2.72
|
0.02
|
CA1
|
2.09
|
0.06
|
NAc
|
5.19
|
0.00
|
M1
|
1.90
|
0.09
|
C-fos
|
ACC
|
0.31
|
0.77
|
CA1
|
2.94
|
0.01
|
NAc
|
0.53
|
0.60
|
M1
|
0.12
|
0.90
|
Gad1
|
ACC
|
0.73
|
0.35
|
CA1
|
0.05
|
2.27
|
NAc
|
0.97
|
0.04
|
M1
|
0.22
|
1.31
|
Gpx1
|
ACC
|
1.02
|
0.33
|
CA1
|
6.71
|
0.00
|
NAc
|
3.29
|
0.01
|
M1
|
1.93
|
0.08
|
Nrf2
|
ACC
|
0.77
|
0.46
|
CA1
|
3.91
|
0.00
|
NAc
|
1.60
|
0.14
|
M1
|
1.22
|
0.25
|
Psd95
|
ACC
|
0.26
|
0.80
|
CA1
|
1.83
|
0.10
|
NAc
|
0.39
|
0.71
|
M1
|
0.94
|
0.37
|
Snap 25
|
ACC
|
0.18
|
0.86
|
CA1
|
2.29
|
0.05
|
NAc
|
0.07
|
0.94
|
M1
|
0.44
|
0.67
|
Gut inflammation drives regional changes in transcriptional programs in the brain
To better understand how transcriptional programs were differentially affected by gut inflammation, we conducted principal component analysis (PCA). When all gene transcripts were loaded (Fig. 4A), and transcript expression from all brain regions are included in the PCA, clear clustering among mice with DSS colitis vs control emerged (p = 0.0022). Further, when PCA loadings were restricted to transcript expression within specific brain regions, there were significant differences between control and DSS animals in the CA1 (p = 0.0022) and NAc (p = 0.015). When only transcripts related to mitochondrial function (Drp1, Mfn2, Mt-Co1) were loaded into the PCA analysis, there was a significant difference in PC1 between control and DSS mice among all brain regions; and upon separation of structure in the analysis, there were significant differences between principal components of control and DSS mice in the CA1 (P = 0.015), and PC2 NAc (p = 0.0043) (Fig. 4B). Similarly, PCA of transcripts related to inflammation regulation (Gpx1, Nrf2) revealed significant differences between the PC1 of controls and DSS among all brain regions (p = 0.0022; Fig. 4C). This significance persisted when the PCA only included transcript expression from the CA1 (p = 0.0022) and the NAc (p = 0.026). The expression of transcripts related to pre- and post-synaptic density proteins did not reveal any significant clustering of principal components (Fig. 4D).
All genes include Mfn2, Drp1, Mtco1, CFos, Gad1, Gpx1, Nrf2, Snap25, and Psd95. Genes related to mitochondrial function include Drp1, Mfn2, Mt-Co1. Genes related to antioxidant regulation include Nrf2 and Gpx1. Pre and post-related synapse genes include post-synpatic (Psd95) and pre-synaptic (Snap25) mechanisms. The percentage of variation explained by the principal component is indicated on the axis. N = 6 male mice per treatment group. Ellipses indicate significant differences between the first or second principal component (*p < 0.05) between treatment groups.
Correlations between transcript expression within brain regions among healthy and gut-inflamed animals
We next tested if gut inflammation affects the relationships (i.e. correlations) between expression among transcripts within each brain structure. DSS treatment did have structure-dependent effects on the correlation among transcript levels (Fig. 5).
Pearson correlation analysis of transcript expression within a given brain region, in mice with gut inflammation and healthy controls. N = 6 per treatment group. *p < 0.05.
Animals with gut inflammation displayed significantly different relationships between several transcripts in the NAc relative to healthy controls (Table 4). Interestingly, the expression of MtCo-1 was a common denominator for all these relationships. We observed a significant positive correlation with Mt-Co1 and Drp1 (p = 0.048, r2 = 0.67; Fig. 6A), Mfn2 (p = 0.015, r2 = 0.81; Fig. 6B) and Gad1 (p = 0.030, r2 = 0.73, Fig. 6C), with a similar trend observed with Psd95 (p = 0.067; Fig. 6D). A negative relationship between Mt-co1 and Drp1, Mfn2, Gad1, and Psd95 was observed among controls, with the latter reaching statistical significance (p = 0.016, r2 = 0.80; Fig. 6).
Table 4
Correlation between Mt-Co1 and Drp1, Mfn2, Gad1, and Psd95 among different treatment groups, within the NAc Pearson correlation and linear regression; n = 6 per treatment group. Data shown in Fig. 6.
Comparison within NAc
|
Treatment
|
Pearson r
|
Linear Regression r2
|
P value
|
Mt-co1 vs. Drp1
|
Among controls
|
-0.58
|
0.33
|
0.23
|
Mt-co1 vs. Drp1
|
Among DSS *
|
0.67
|
0.67
|
0.048
|
Mt-co1 vs. Mfn2
|
Among controls
|
-0.41
|
0.17
|
0.42
|
Mt-co1 vs. Mfn2
|
Among DSS *
|
0.90
|
0.81
|
0.015
|
Mt-co1 vs. Gad1
|
Among controls
|
-0.12
|
0.61
|
0.065
|
Mt-co1 vs. Gad1
|
Among DSS *
|
0.88
|
0.73
|
0.030
|
Mt-co1 vs. Psd95
|
Among controls*
|
-0.90
|
0.80
|
0.016
|
Mt-co1 vs. Psd95
|
Among DSS
|
0.78
|
0.61
|
0.066
|
Within the CA1, expression of Psd95 was positively correlated with Nrf2 among controls (p = 0.012, r = 0.91), but not DSS animals (p = 0.64, r=-0.24; Fig. 7). No significant relationship between Psd95 and Nrf2 was observed for any other regions, among control of DSS mice. We observed a significant correlation between the expression of Psd95 and Gad1 among control and DSS animals in the M1 and the NAc, among DSS animals in the ACC, and among controls in the CA1 (Supplementary Table 2). However in the CA1, among animals with DSS, the positive relationship between these genes was lost, and trended towards a negative correlation, although this did not reach statistical significance. The expression of Drp and Gad1 were positively correlated with each other among controls, in all limbic regions, but not M1 (Supplementary Table 3). This positive correlation was maintained in mice with DSS in the ACC, with similar trends in the NAc and the M1. Conversely, exposure to DSS was associated with a negative correlation between Drp and Gad1 in CA1 (Supplementary Table 3).
Expression of Psd95 as a function of Nrf2 among control and DSS animals in the CA1 N = 6 animals per group. Transcript expression normalized to expression of Hprt. Pearson R and p values for all comparisons can be found in Supplementary Table 4.
In the motor cortex and the NAc, DSS animals exhibited a significant positive correlation between MtCo1 and Gad (p = 0.030 r = 0.85); this relationship did not exist among controls, trending towards a negative correlation in the NAc (p = 0.065, r=-0.78) (Table 4). No such relationships between transcript expression in the ACC were affected by gut inflammation.
Correlations of transcript expression between brain structures, among control and DSS animals
To examine the possibility that gut inflammation affects the way the expression of a given transcript between two structures are related, we analyzed the relationship between transcript expression among different brain structures. Correlations of the same gene transcript between different regions are listed in Supplementary Table 5. Treatment status affected the correlation of transcripts related to GABA synthesis, mitochondrial function, and synapse function between brain structures. For example, correlations between the expression of Drp1, Gad1, and Psd95 in the ACC and the NAc were only present in healthy controls (Supplementary Table 5). CFos expression in the CA1 and NAc was negatively correlated only among DSS-treated animals. Further, Psd95 expression in the CA1 and ACC were correlated only among mice exposed to DSS. Interestingly, many correlations between gene expression were observed between the M1 and ACC, and the M1 and the Ca1 (Supplementary Table 5).
Correlations between fecal Lcn-2 and transcript expression within DSS animals
To determine if there was a relationship between the severity of disease among mice with DSS and mRNA transcript expression, we produced a correlation matrix between transcript expression and levels of Lcn-2 from fecal samples of DSS exposed mice that were collected the same day as euthanasia.
Pearson correlation coefficients relating levels of fecal Lcn-2 with expression of transcripts in different brain regions reveals that ACC transcript expression was most strongly correlated with fecal Lcn-2 levels, with a positive correlation between 4 transcripts (Fig. 8). Specifically, the expression of Drp1 (p = 0.033, r = 0.0849), Gad1 (p = 0.029, r = 0.858), Psd95 (p = 0.049, r = 0.813), and Snap25 (p = 0.003, r = 0.957) in the ACC were all positively correlated with fecal Lcn-2. Ca1 expression of Psd95 (p = 0.018, and M1 expression of Snap25 (p = 0.019, r = 0.0886) were also positively correlation with fecal Lcn-2. No significant relationships between transcripts in the NAc and fecal Lcn-2 were observed, although Gad1 and Psd95 approached significance (p = 0.062 and p = 0.064, respectively).
Pearson correlation of transcript expression in different brain structures and fecal Lcn-2 levels among mice with gut inflammation. N = 6, *p < 0.05.