Astragalus polysaccharide ameliorated complex factor-induced CFS by modulating the gut microbiota and metabolites in mice 2023 Wei et al

[Researchers torture mice, fed them a traditional Chinese medicine, claim it helps]

Highlights

• Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) improve the learning and memory abilities and reduce despair in mcie with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
  
  
• APS ameliorates intestinal barrier damage and inflammation in CFS mice.
  
  
• APS modulates the gut microbiota and increases levels of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in CFS mice.
  
  
• APS ameliorates oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain of CFS mice, an effect possibly mediated by promoting SCFAs production in the gut.
  

Abstract
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating disease with no symptomatic treatment. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), a component derived from the traditional Chinese medicine A. membranaceus, has significant anti-fatigue activity. However, the mechanisms underlying the potential beneficial effects of APS on CFS remain poorly understood. A CFS model of 6-week-old C57BL/6 male mice was established using the multiple-factor method. These mice underwent examinations for behavior, oxidative stress and inflammatory indicators in brain and intestinal tissues, and ileum histomorphology. 16 S rDNA sequencing analysis indicated that APS regulated the abundance of gut microbiota and increased production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and anti-inflammatory bacteria. In addition, APS reversed the abnormal expression of Nrf2, NF-κB, and their downstream factors in the brain-gut axis and alleviated the reduction in SCFAs in the cecal content caused by CFS. Further, APS modulated the changes in serum metabolic pathways induced by CFS. Finally, it was verified that butyrate exerted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in neuronal cells. In conclusion, APS could increase the SCFAs content by regulating the gut microbiota, and SCFAs (especially butyrate) can further regulate the oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain, thus alleviating CFS. This study explored the efficacy and mechanism of APS for CFS from the perspective of gut-brain axis and provides a reference to further explore the efficacy of APS and the role of SCFAs in the central nervous system.

Open access, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332223006522

 

Thank you so much from those of us without the cognition or time to read entire posts.

 

IIRC, SCFAs produced in the colon mostly get used in the colon; only 8% or so enter the bloodstream, so it's unlikely to have major effects on neurons. Supplemental butyrate might be more effective at raising butyrate levels in the brain, yet I can't recall anyone claiming that it's effective for their ME.

Poor little mousies.