# Gut Dysbiosis and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

> **NIH NIH R01** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $400,298

## Abstract

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), a recognized priority established by the NINDS, is a major cause of
cognitive impairment. In this proposal, we present the novel idea that antigens derived from the gut microbiota
constitute a fundamental source for the inflammation underlying CSVD. We propose that gut dysbiosis
allows bacteria and bacterial components to translocate the gut epithelial barrier and ultimately gain
access to the brain where they initiate and maintain inflammation necessary for the development of
CSVD. The hypothesis is supported with strong preliminary data: (1) gut dysbiosis occurs in spontaneously
hypertensive stroke-prone rats (SHRSP), a relevant model for CSVD, compared to its parent strain, WKY rats;
(2) altering the gut microbiome in WKY rats to resemble that of SHRSP is accompanied by pathological
changes occurring in SHRSP. Altering the gut microbiome in SHRSP rats to resemble that of WKY rats
attenuates these pathological changes; (3) brains of SHRSP contain 52% more bacterial DNA than WKY rats;
(4) gram-negative bacteria represent a substantially greater proportion of the overall bacterial DNA in brains of
SHRSP compared to WKY rats; and (5) lipopolysaccharides (LPS), bacterial endotoxin derived from gram
negative bacteria, are substantially increased in brains of SHRSP compared to WKY rats. In Specific Aim 1 we
will determine if CSVD can be produced or prevented through manipulation of the gut microbiota. If gut
dysbiosis is an underlying cause of CSVD then we should be able to induce CSVD in control WKY rats, the
parent strain for the SHRSP, by inducing dysbiosis. Alternatively, we should be able to abolish or delay the
onset of CSVD in SHRSP rats by preventing dysbiosis. In Specific Aim 2 we will identify gut and brain bacteria
and bacterial components involved with the initiation of CSVD. (a) We will analyze the bacterial DNA
composition of the gut and brain by sequencing the bacterial 16s rRNA gene from feces, cecal content, and
brain. Using targeted qPCR, we will further identify bacteria to the species level. (b) We will determine if intact
bacteria are resident in the brain using RT-PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization of SHRSP and WKY
rats. In Specific Aim 3 we propose to track the movement of bacteria and bacterial components, a process
termed translocation, from the gut to the brain. First, we will determine if fluorescently labeled LPS and
peptidoglycan track to the brain when gavaged into the gut of SHRSP and WKY rats. Second, we will employ
bacteria that we have engineered with reporters to track bacteria from gut to brain and determine if gram-
negative bacteria are capable of translocating from gut to brain more efficiently in hosts developing CSVD. If
our hypothesis is valid, then the gastrointestinal tract (GI) can affect the health of the brain. Establishing the gut
microbiome as a source for inflammation related to CSVD could dramatically refocus our attention on the GI
tract as a potential c...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9994411
- **Project number:** 5R01NS102594-03
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT M BRYAN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $400,298
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9994411

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9994411, Gut Dysbiosis and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease (5R01NS102594-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9994411. Licensed CC0.

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