Deprivation of dietary fiber promotes low-grade neuroinflammation and anxiety-like behavior in mice

Depriving male C57BL/6J mice of fermentable dietary fiber (CDD vs GBC) is linked to low-grade gut inflammation and reduced open-field center exploration, indicating heightened anxiety-like behavior.

• Why it matters: Gut perturbations that target microbiota can alter brain function, but it is unclear whether removing fermentable fiber alone coordinates gut inflammation with brain immune and behavioral changes.
• What they did: Mice were fed GBC, CDD, or CDD supplemented with inulin (CDD+INU) for 6–8 weeks, then underwent behavioral testing plus gut microbiome, serum metabolome, and gut–brain axis analyses including flow cytometry and brain transcriptomics.
• The result: CDD+INU fully reversed the gut inflammation and anxiety-like behavior, and prevented CDD-linked pro-inflammatory shifts in brain immune cells and glial metabolic changes, including reduced mitochondrial respiration and increased glycolysis.

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