Methamphetamine exposure and its cessation alter gut microbiota and induce depressive-like behavioral effects on rats

Rationale Methamphetamine is a highly abused psychostimulant drug and its use remains a major public health concern worldwide with limited effective treatment options. Accumulative evidence reveals the influence of gut microbiota on the brain, behavior, and health as a part of the gut-brain axis but its involvement in modulating this substance use disorder remains poorly understood. Objective We sought to determine whether methamphetamine exposure and cessation or withdrawal alter the intestinal gut microbiota as well as characterize cessation-induced behavioral changes. Methods Male, Sprague-Dawley rats were administered methamphetamine (2 mg/kg; s.c.) or vehicle (n = 8 per group) twice per day for 14 consecutive days. On various days before, during, and after administration, fecal samples were collected and tests of anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors were conducted. Results Methamphetamine administration and cessation did not alter the relative abundance of bacteria but significantly changed the composition of gut bacteria through 16S rRNA sequencing. These changes were normalized after 7 days of methamphetamine cessation. Moreover, acute methamphetamine cessation induced depressive-like behavior, with an increase in immobility in the forced swim test but did not alter anxiety-like behaviors in tests of open field test or elevated plus maze. Conclusions These findings provide direct evidence that methamphetamine and its cessation cause gut dysbiosis and that the latter associates with depressive-like behavior in rodents. Our observation will contribute to a better understanding of the function of gut microbiota in the process of substance use disorders and guide the choice of target therapeutics.

Automated summary

The study found that exposure to methamphetamine and its cessation can alter the composition of gut microbiota, with the gut bacteria composition returning to normal after cessation. In addition, acute cessation of methamphetamine induced depressive-like behavior, but did not affect anxiety-like behavior.