Gut dysbiosis is associated with increased blood–brain barrier permeability and cognitive impairment in elderlies with coronary heart disease

作者：Lichao Di, Peiying Huang, Yuting He, Na Sun, Liwei Chi, Lining Huang · 发表于：Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fnagi.2025.1640761 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Gut microbiota and health、Barrier Structure and Function Studies、Gastrointestinal motility and disorders

Objective The gut-brain axis is recognized as a critical pathway through which gut microbiota influences neurological health. However, the complex interplay between gut microbiota composition, blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity, and cognitive function in elderly individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD) experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains insufficiently elucidated. This study aimed to investigate these relationships in a cohort of 40 elderlies with CHD, comparing those with MCI to those with normal cognition (NC), focusing on microbial diversity, specific taxa alterations, BBB permeability, and their correlations with cognitive performance. Methods This preplanned secondary analysis utilized data from two prospective cohort studies, enrolling elderlies with CHD (≥60 years). Participants were categorized into NC ( n = 20) and MCI ( n = 20) groups based on standardized neuropsychological assessments. Fecal samples underwent 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V3-V4 region) to evaluate gut microbiota diversity and composition. BBB permeability was quantified using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI), specifically measuring the volume transfer constant (Ktrans) in the hippocampus. Results Compared to the NC group, MCI patients exhibited significantly reduced gut microbial α -diversity (Chao1 index: p = 0.002; Shannon index: p = 0.009) and distinct β -diversity profiles (Bray–Curtis dissimilarity, PERMANOVA, p = 0.003). LEfSe analysis identif...