Short-chain fatty acids ameliorate spinal cord injury recovery by regulating the balance of regulatory T cells and effector IL-17+ γδ T cells

This study investigates how short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), produced by gut bacteria, affect recovery from spinal cord injury (SCI). SCFAs are administered orally to rats with SCI to observe their impact on motor function and tissue repair. The research focuses on the interplay between gut health, immune responses, and spinal cord repair. It explores whether SCFAs can modulate immune cells, particularly regulatory T cells (Tregs) and IL-17+ γδ T cells, to reduce inflammation and promote recovery after SCI. The findings suggest a 'gut-spinal cord-immune' axis where SCFAs influence immune cells in the gut, which then migrate to the spinal cord, impacting inflammation and motor function recovery. This highlights a potential therapeutic strategy for SCI by targeting the gut microbiome.

• 1
  Oral administration of SCFAs improved locomotor function in SCI rats, as indicated by increased BBB scores, improved regularity index, and decreased base of support (BOS) value.
• 2
  SCFAs reduced spinal cord tissue inflammatory infiltration and necrosis, while increasing the number of motor neurons and Nissl bodies, indicating a neuroprotective effect.
• 3
  SCFAs promoted gut homeostasis and induced intestinal T cells to shift toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype, increasing the abundance of Treg cells in the small intestinal lamina propria.
• 4
  Treg cells migrate from the gut to the spinal cord region after SCI.
• 5
  SCFAs can regulate Treg cells in the gut and promote their secretion of IL-10, affecting the balance of Treg and IL-17+ γδ T cells in the spinal cord, which inhibits the inflammatory response and promotes the motor function in SCI rats.