Military servicemembers upon exposure to blast overpressure (BOP) during training and combat develop leaky gut linked to decreased cognitive function.
Military servicemembers often operate in extreme environments that challenge their health, in terms of cognitive and physical functioning. Blast overpressure (BOP) exposure during combat and training has been implicated in contributing to their physiological changes and adverse brain health effects; however, the underlying mechanisms at molecular level remain unknown to date.
In a recent study, researchers investigated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)-like symptomology and blood samples of "30 male breachers" before BOP exposure, after, and the following day for changes in gene expression and intestinal permeability biomarkers as a sign of leaky gut. The symptom data collected revealed acutely elevated levels of headache and dizziness with decreased concentration and processing speed upon BOP exposure; however, after 16 hours, dissipation of those symptoms was observed. Interestingly, they found a significant alteration in levels of protein biomarkers involved in controlling intestinal permeability or leaky gut. The specific protein biomarkers identified include Zonulin, Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, Claudin-3, and an intestinal fatty acid-binding protein. Also, using gene expression data researchers detected bacterial translocation into circulation following blast exposure.
In addition to deficits in neurological and cognitive functioning patients with TBI are known to present with abdominal pain, gastric distension, altered intestinal motility, constipation, ulcers, and/or a chronic dysfunction of the gastrointestinal system. In the present study, the observed symptom profile is consistent with similar findings in mTBI and is further associated with changes in bacterial translocation and leaky gut, suggesting that leaky gut may be linked to a decrease in cognitive functioning. These preliminary findings show for the first time within real-world military operational settings that BOP exposures can contribute to leaky gut. These findings support the role of the gut-brain axis in blast-related sequalae that may have a major long-term potential for therapeutic development and treatment.
Liu, Q., Wang, Z., Sun, S., Neems, J., Lisa, L.A., Hoisington, A., Skotak, M., LaValle, C.R., Ge, Y., Carr, W. & Haghighi, F. (2024) Association of Blast Exposure in Military Breaching with Intestinal Permeability Blood Biomarkers Associated with Leaky Gut. Int J Mol Sci. 21, 3549.
This work was supported by the VA CSR&D Research Career Scientist Award, the VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) Military Operational Medicine Research Program and Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Military Operational Medicine Research Program at the USAMRDC, and the Defense Health Agency.
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