Sleep dysfunction and gut dysbiosis-related amino acid metabolism disorders in cynomolgus monkeys after middle cerebral artery occlusion

This study explored the characteristics of post-stroke sleep dysfunction and verified its association with gut probiotic dysbiosis-related amino acid metabolism disorders using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in a non-human primate stroke model. Twenty adult male cynomolgus monkeys were divided into sham (n = 4), middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO, n = 5), MCAO + FMT (n = 3), and donor (n = 8) groups. The MCAO + FMT group received FMT 4 weeks post-MCAO. Sleep parameters, gut microbiota, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamine in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured at baseline and 4, 8, and 12 weeks postoperatively. At 4, 8, and 12 weeks postoperatively, the MCAO group showed decreased sleep efficiency, lower relative abundance of Lactobacillus, and reduced GABA in the CSF compared with the sham group. Sleep efficiency at 4 and 8 weeks post-FMT and GABA concentration in the CSF at 4 weeks post-FMT were higher in the MCAO + FMT group than in the MCAO group. Post-stroke sleep dysfunction in monkeys is characterized by impaired sleep coherence, associated with decreased levels of probiotics such as Lactobacillus, GABA, and glutamine in the CSF, and can be ameliorated using FMT.