Distinct Effects of Non-absorbed Agents Rifaximin and Berberine on the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Dysbiosis-induced Visceral Hypersensitivity in Rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is accepted as a disorder of gut-brain interactions. Berberine and rifaximin are non-absorbed antibiotics and have been confirmed effective for IBS treatment, but there is still lack of direct comparison of their effects. This study aims to compare the effect of the 2 drugs on the alteration of gut-brain axis caused by gut microbiota from IBS patients. METHODS: Germ-free rats received fecal microbiota transplantation from screened IBS patients and healthy controls. After 14 days’ colonization, rats were administrated orally with berberine, rifaximin or vehicle respectively for the next 14 days. The visceral sensitivity was evaluated, fecal microbiota profiled and microbial short chain fatty acids were determined. Immunofluorescence staining and morphological analysis were performed to evaluate microglial activation. RESULTS: Visceral hypersensitivity induced by IBS–fecal microbiota transplantation was relieved by berberine and rifaximin, and berberine increased sucrose preference rate. Microbial α-diversity were reduced by both drugs. Compared with rifaximin, berberine significantly changed microbial structure and enriched Lachnoclostridium. Furthermore, berberine but not rifaximin significantly increased fecal concentrations of acetate and propionate acids. Berberine restored the morphological alterations of microglia induced by dysbiosis, which may be associated with its effect on the expression of microbial gene pathways involved in peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Rifaximin affected neither the numbers of activated microglial cells nor the microglial morphological alterations. CONCLUSIONS: Berberine enriched Lachnoclostridium, reduced the expression of peptidoglycan biosynthesis genes and increased acetate and propionate. The absence of these actions of rifaximin may explain the different effects of the drugs on microbiota-gut-brain axis.