Faecalibacterium prausnitzii Supplementation Prevents Intestinal Barrier Injury and Gut Microflora Dysbiosis Induced by Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation (SD) leads to impaired intestinal barrier function and intestinal flora disorder, especially a reduction in the abundance of the next generation of probioticFaecalibacterium prausnitzii(F. prausnitzii). However, it remains largely unclear whetherF. prausnitziican ameliorate SD-induced intestinal barrier damage. A 72 h SD mouse model was used in this research, with or without the addition ofF. prausnitzii. The findings indicated that pre-colonization withF. prausnitziicould protect against tissue damage from SD, enhance goblet cell count and MUC2 levels in the colon, boost tight-junction protein expression, decrease macrophage infiltration, suppress pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, and reduce apoptosis. We found that the presence ofF. prausnitziihelped to balance the gut microbiota in SD mice by reducing harmful bacteria likeKlebsiellaandStaphylococcus, while increasing beneficial bacteria such asAkkermansia. Ion chromatography analysis revealed thatF. prausnitziipretreatment increased the fecal butyrate level in SD mice. Overall, these results suggested that incorporatingF. prausnitziicould help reduce gut damage caused by SD, potentially by enhancing the intestinal barrier and balancing gut microflora. This provides a foundation for utilizing probiotics to protect against intestinal illnesses.