Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41988171›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2026

Ciprofloxacin-induced microbiota dysbiosis triggers seizure susceptibility through the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

Qihang Zou, Yaqian Zhang, Shangnan Zou, Yinchao Li, Huifeng Li, Man Yang, Huanling Lai, Ruili Niu, Xiaofeng Yang, Liemin Zhou

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Qihang Zou *Clinical Neuroscience Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Yaqian Zhang *Clinical Neuroscience Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Shangnan Zou *Clinical Neuroscience Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Yinchao LiClinical Neuroscience Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Huifeng LiGuangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Man YangClinical Neuroscience Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Huanling LaiGuangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Ruili NiuGuangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Xiaofeng YangGuangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Liemin ZhouClinical Neuroscience Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy is linked to inflammation and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Ciprofloxacin-induced microbiota disruption may increase seizure susceptibility. This study investigates underlying mechanisms and the therapeutic potential of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Methods: A total of 64 male Sprague-Dawley rats were categorized into four experimental groups: Control (CTRL), Ciprofloxacin-treated (CPF), CPF with fecal microbiota transplantation (CPF-FMT), and CPF with phosphate-buffered saline (CPF-PBS). Gut microbiota dysbiosis was induced with ciprofloxacin for 14 days, followed by either FMT or PBS for 14 days. Seizure susceptibility was assessed using pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), alongside molecular analyses of gut and blood-brain barrier integrity, neuroinflammatory markers, and cortical transcriptomics. Results: Microbiota dysbiosis was associated with increased seizure susceptibility, accompanied by disruption of intestinal and blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, thereby exacerbating systemic and neuroinflammation. Dysbiotic rats exhibited significant reductions in microbial diversity and depletion of protective taxa, including f_Muribaculaceae, f_Prevotellaceae, and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, which correlated with intestinal barrier dysfunction. This dysfunction was associated with reduced tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin-5) and inflammatory cell infiltration. Systemic inflammation and disrupted blood-brain barrier integrity resulted in microglial activation and astrocytic proliferation in the brain. Notably, FMT was related to restoration of microbial diversity, improvement of barrier-related markers, attenuation of neuroinflammatory responses, and a reduction in seizure susceptibility. Conclusion: This study provides evidence linking gut microbiota dysbiosis to seizure susceptibility through neuroinflammatory processes, contributing to the understanding of gut-brain axis involvement in fluoroquinolone-induced seizures.

Indexed as

Brain-Gut AxisCiprofloxacinDysbiosisGastrointestinal MicrobiomeSeizuresAnimalsBlood-Brain BarrierDisease Models, AnimalDisease SusceptibilityFecal Microbiota TransplantationIntestinal Barrier FunctionMaleRatsRats, Sprague-DawleyCiprofloxacingut-brain axisintestinal and blood-brain barriersmicrobiota dysbiosisneuroinflammationseizure susceptibility

Identifiers

PMID41988171
PMCPMC13076159

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.