Kristin Elfers, Antja Watanangura, Pascal Hoffmann, Jan S Suchodolski, Mohammad R Khattab, Rachel Pilla, Sebastian Meller, Holger A Volk, Gemma Mazzuoli-Weber
INTRODUCTION: Alterations in the composition and function of the gut microbiome have been reported in idiopathic epilepsy (IE), however, interactions of gut microbes with the enteric nervous system (ENS) in this context require further study. This pilot study examined how gastrointestinal microbiota (GIM), their metabolites, and nutrients contained in intestinal contents communicate with the ENS. METHODS: Fecal supernatants (FS) from healthy dogs and dogs with IE, including drug-naïve, phenobarbital (PB) responsive, and PB non-responsive dogs, were applied to cultured myenteric neurons to test their activation using voltage-sensitive dye neuroimaging...
2024: Frontiers in Neuroscience