The Effect and Mechanism of Gut Microbiota Changes in Spleen Deficiency Environment on Alzheimer’s Disease Rats

An AD model was established in male Sprague–Dawley rats via bilateral intraventricular injection of amyloid β protein (Aβ)1–42, while a spleen deficiency model was induced by subcutaneous injection of reserpine. The rats were divided into four groups: normal control (NC), AD model (AD), spleen deficiency model (SD), and combined AD with spleen deficiency model (AD+SD). Cognitive behavior and AD-related pathology were evaluated using the Morris water maze test and immunohistochemistry. Changes in the gut microbiota were assessed via 16S rRNA sequencing.