Role of the gut microbiota in complications after ischemic stroke

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024 Apr 5:14:1334581. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1334581. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a serious central nervous system disease. Post-IS complications, such as post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), post-stroke depression (PSD), hemorrhagic transformation (HT), gastrointestinal dysfunction, cardiovascular events, and post-stroke infection (PSI), result in neurological deficits. The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) facilitates bidirectional signal transduction and communication between the intestines and the brain. Recent studies have reported alterations in gut microbiota diversity post-IS, suggesting the involvement of gut microbiota in post-IS complications through various mechanisms such as bacterial translocation, immune regulation, and production of gut bacterial metabolites, thereby affecting disease prognosis. In this review, to provide insights into the prevention and treatment of post-IS complications and improvement of the long-term prognosis of IS, we summarize the interaction between the gut microbiota and IS, along with the effects of the gut microbiota on post-IS complications.

Keywords: complication; gut microbiota; ischemic stroke; prognosis; treatment.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Translocation
  • Brain / microbiology
  • Brain-Gut Axis* / physiology
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / etiology
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / microbiology
  • Dysbiosis
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
  • Humans
  • Ischemic Stroke* / complications
  • Ischemic Stroke* / microbiology

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by Tianjin Key Medical Discipline (Specialty) Construction Project (grant no. TJYXZDXK-052B).