Exercise Preconditioning Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment in Mice with Ischemic Stroke by Alleviating Inflammation and Modulating Gut Microbiota

Several studies have demonstrated that exercise preconditioning is an effective means of alleviating poststroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). Mechanisms of regulating cognitive function have not been fully elucidated. Herein, the present study is aimed at exploring the effect of the microbiota-gut-inflammasome-brain axis in the process of exercise preconditioning moderating cognitive impairment after ischemic stroke. We observed that exercise preconditioning decreased infarct size, reduced the degree of neuronal damage, and alleviated cognitive impairment in mice with ischemic stroke. In addition, exercise preconditioning also reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines, as well as NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-18, and IL-1β protein expressions. Ischemic stroke could downregulate the abundance of Roseburia while increasing the abundance of the Helicobacter at the level of genus. As a comparison, exercise preconditioning increased the abundance of the Lactobacillus, which was beneficial for mice at the genus level. In conclusion, exercise preconditioning can improve cognitive dysfunction after ischemic stroke through alleviating inflammation and regulating the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota, which might provide a new strategy for the prevention of PSCI.