Periodontitis-related salivary microbiota aggravates Alzheimer’s disease via gut-brain axis crosstalk

Abstract

(PAP) transgenic mice. Saliva samples were collected from patients with periodontitis and healthy individuals. The salivary microbiota was gavaged into PAP mice for two months. Continuous gavage of periodontitis-related salivary microbiota in PAP mice impaired cognitive function and increased β-amyloid accumulation and neuroinflammation. Moreover, these AD-related pathologies were consistent with gut microbial dysbiosis, intestinal pro-inflammatory responses, intestinal barrier impairment, and subsequent exacerbation of systemic inflammation, suggesting that the periodontitis-related salivary microbiota may aggravate AD pathogenesis through crosstalk of the gut-brain axis. In this study, we demonstrated that periodontitis might participate in the pathogenesis of AD by swallowing salivary microbiota, verifying the role of periodontitis in AD progression and providing a novel perspective on the etiology and intervention strategies of AD.