Characteristics of gut microbiota in people with circadian rhythm disruption and its correlation with cognition

‍Objective‍ ‍To analyze the diversity and composition of gut microbiota in individuals with circadian rhythm disruption and their correlation with cognition. Methods‍ ‍Night shift workers and regular shift workers were subjected from our hospital during August 2022 and October 2024. The participants with circadian rhythm disorders were assigned into an experimental group (n=24), and those with normal circadian rhythms were into a control group (n=24). Their height, weight, age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and fresh fecal samples were collected, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to evaluate their mental status. Metagenomics, Alpha and Beta diversity analyses, Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were employed to investigate the diversity and function characteristics of gut microbiota in the participants. Results‍ ‍There were no statistical differences between the 2 groups in baseline data, such as height, weight, gender, age, and BMI (P>0.05). Alpha diversity analysis indicated that no statistical differences were observed in the ACE, Chao1, Shannon, or Simpson indices between the 2 groups, while beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences (P<0.01), suggesting different structure of gut microbiota between them. In the experimental group, the abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Agathobacter rectalis was decreased, while that of Escherichia coli and Phocaeicola vulgaratus was increased, with significant differences when compared with the control group (P<0.05). Additionally, KEGG functional analysis showed that the experimental group had obviously higher expression levels in Th17 cell differentiation and the IL-17 signaling pathway than the control group (P<0.05). Agathobacter rectalis and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were positively correlated with MoCA score and MMSE score (P<0.05, P<0.01). Agathobacter rectalis was negatively correlated with the IL-17 signaling pathway and Th17 cell differentiation. Conclusion‍ ‍Individuals with circadian rhythm disorders have significant changes in the structure and function of gut microbiota when compared to those with normal circadian rhythms. Agathobacter rectalis may be involved in the regulation of the IL-17 signaling pathway and differentiation of Th17 cells, thereby possibly impacting the increases of cognitive score related to circadian rhythm disorders.