Murine gut microbiota dysbiosis via enteric infection modulates the foreign body response to a distal biomaterial implant

(ETBF) and implanted particulate material (mean particle size <600 μm) of the synthetic polymer polycaprolactone (PCL) into a distal muscle injury. ETBF infection in mice led to increased neutrophil and γδ T cell infiltration into the PCL implant site. ETBF infection alone promoted systemic inflammation, increased levels of neutrophils in lymphoid tissues, and altered skeletal muscle gene expression. At the PCL implant site, we found significant changes in the transcriptome of sorted stromal cells between infected and control mice, including differences related to ECM components such as proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans. However, we did not observe ETBF-induced differences in fibrosis levels. These results demonstrate the ability of the gut microbiota to mediate long-distance effects such as immune and stromal responses to a distal biomaterial implant.