Sex-dependent colonic microbiome and host’s transcriptomics profiles in a murine model of multiple sclerosis

Our previous works demonstrated a bidirectional link between the gut microbiota and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a rodent model of MS. In this study, we aimed to assess sex as a biological variable in the host and microbiota colonic microenvironment at early and late stages of neuroinflammation.

A combination of two independent experiments showed no significant differences between male and female C57BL/6J mice in the EAE incidence, disease onset, and disease severity. We performed colonic transcriptomics and microbiota analysis in colonic fecal content of EAE mice and controls on the day of disease induction, pre-onset, and peak disease (seven mice per group/times). Our transcriptomics analysis revealed significant sex-specific differences in colonic gene expression during EAE.