Abscopal Brain Proteomic Changes Associated with Microbiome Alterations Induced by Gastrointestinal Acute Radiation Syndrome in Swine

Emerging research highlights the gut microbiota's critical role in modulating brain activity via the gut-brain axis. This study explores whether targeted gastrointestinal irradiation induces abscopal effects on the brain proteome, revealing microbiota-mediated neurobiological changes. Male Sinclair minipigs were randomized to receive either sham treatment (<i>n</i> = 6) or 8 Gy lower hemibody (gut-targeted) irradiation (<i>n</i> = 5). Over 14 days, rectal swabs were collected to monitor microbiota dynamics, followed by frontal cortex proteomic analysis. Irradiation altered gut microbiota composition, notably reducing Chlamydiae and Firmicutes phyla, while increasing Coriobacteriaceae and Acinetobacter. Proteomic analysis identified 75 differentially abundant proteins in the frontal cortex, including a significant decrease in pannexin-1 (PANX1), suggesting modulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Functional enrichment analysis revealed immune and neurotransmission-related changes linked to microbial shifts. These results demonstrate that gut-targeted radiation can remotely affect brain protein expression, emphasizing the microbiota's role in neuroimmune regulation and pointing to novel therapeutic opportunities in gut-brain axis disorders.