Project description:Gut dysbiosis is closely involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, it remains unclear whether IBD-associated gut dysbiosis plays a primary role in disease manifestation or is merely secondary to intestinal inflammation. Here, we established a humanized gnotobiotic (hGB) mouse system to assess the functional role of gut dysbiosis associated with two types of IBD - Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). In order to explore the functional impact of dysbiotic microbiota in IBD patients on host immune responses, we analyzed gene expression profiles in colonic mucosa of hGB mice colonized with healty (HC), CD, and UC microbiota.
Project description:Morphine and its pharmacological derivatives are the most prescribed analgesics for moderate to severe pain management. However, chronic use of morphine reduces pathogen clearance and induces bacterial translocation across the gut barrier. The enteric microbiome has been shown to play a critical role in the preservation of the mucosal barrier function and metabolic homeostasis. Here, we show for the first time, using bacterial 16s rDNA sequencing, that chronic morphine treatment significantly alters the gut microbial composition and induces preferential expansion of the gram-positive pathogenic and reduction of bile-deconjugating bacterial strains. A significant reduction in both primary and secondary bile acid levels was seen in the gut, but not in the liver with morphine treatment. Morphine induced microbial dysbiosis and gut barrier disruption was rescued by transplanting placebo-treated microbiota into morphine-treated animals, indicating that microbiome modulation could be exploited as a therapeutic strategy for patients using morphine for pain management. In this study, we establish a link between the two phenomena, namely gut barrier compromise and dysregulated bile acid metabolism. We show for the first time that morphine fosters significant gut microbial dysbiosis and disrupts cholesterol/bile acid metabolism. Changes in the gut microbial composition is strongly correlated to disruption in host inflammatory homeostasis13,14 and in many diseases (e.g. cancer/HIV infection), persistent inflammation is known to aid and promote the progression of the primary morbidity. We show here that chronic morphine, gut microbial dysbiosis, disruption of cholesterol/bile acid metabolism and gut inflammation; have a linear correlation. This opens up the prospect of devising minimally invasive adjunct treatment strategies involving microbiome and bile acid modulation and thus bringing down morphine-mediated inflammation in the host.
Project description:Major depressive disorder is caused by gene-environment interactions and the gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the development of depression. However, the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota modulates depression remain elusive. Herein, we detected the differentially expressed hippocampal long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) between mice inoculated with gut microbiota from major depressive disorder patients or healthy controls, to identify the effects of gut microbiota-dysbiosis on gene regulation patterns at the transcriptome level. We also performed functional analysis to explore the microbial-regulated pathological mechanisms of depression. Two hundred mRNAs, 358 lncRNAs and 4 miRNAs were differentially expressed between the two groups. Functional analysis of these differentially expressed mRNAs indicated dysregulated inflammatory response to be the primary pathological change. Intersecting the differentially expressed mRNAs with targets of differentially expressed miRNAs identified 47 intersected mRNAs, which were mainly related to neurodevelopment. Additionally, we constructed a microbial-regulated lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network based on RNA-RNA interactions. According to the competitive endogenous RNA hypothesis, two neurodevelopmental ceRNA sub-networks implicating in depression were identified. This study provides new understanding of the pathogenesis of depression induced by gut microbiota-dysbiosis and may act as a theoretical basis for the development of gut microbiota-based antidepressants.
Project description:Colorectal cancer (CRC) is closely related to gut dysbiosis. We investigated the effects of imbalanced gut microbiota on the progression of intestinal adenoma in Apcmin/+ mice model using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Administration of feces from CRC patients increased tumor proliferation and decreased apoptosis in tumor cells. Abnormal expression of genes related to Wnt-protein binding and lipid metabolic process was observed.
Project description:DNA methylation profile of mouse sperm from conventionally-raised mice and gut dysbiosis experienced mice were characterized using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. Genome-wide DNA methylation changes between control and dysbiotic male�s sperm were highly comparable, with no change in DNAme globally or at genomic features, only 21 differentially methylated regions (DMR) were identified, which did not overlap known regulatory elements. Epididymal sperm samples were harvested from 11 weeks old inbred male mice that were experiencing gut microbiota dysbiosis for 6-week (antibiotics treated, n=5), or drink sterilized water (control, n=5).
Project description:Pancreatic cancer is the 3rd most prevalent cause of cancer related deaths in United states alone, with over 55000 patients being diagnosed in 2019 alone and nearly as many succumbing to it. Late detection, lack of effective therapy and poor understanding of pancreatic cancer systemically contributes to its poor survival statistics. Obesity and high caloric intake linked co-morbidities like type 2 diabetes (T2D) have been attributed as being risk factors for a number of cancers including pancreatic cancer. Studies on gut microbiome has shown that lifestyle factors as well as diet has a huge effect on the microbial flora of the gut. Further, modulation of gut microbiome has been seen to contribute to effects of intensive insulin therapy in mice on high fat diet. In another study, abnormal gut microbiota was reported to contribute to development of diabetes in Db/Db mice. Recent studies indicate that microbiome and microbial dysbiosis plays a role in not only the onset of disease but also in its outcome. In colorectal cancer, Fusobacterium has been reported to promote therapy resistance. Certain intra-tumoral bacteria have also been shown to elicit chemo-resistance by metabolizing anti-cancerous agents. In pancreatic cancer, studies on altered gut microbiome have been relatively recent. Microbial dysbiosis has been observed to be associated with pancreatic tumor progression. Modulation of microbiome has been shown to affect response to anti-PD1 therapy in this disease as well. However, most of the studies in pancreatic cancer and microbiome have remained focused om immune modulation. In the current study, we observed that in a T2D mouse model, the microbiome changed significantly as the hyperglycemia developed in these animals. Our results further showed that, tumors implanted in the T2D mice responded poorly to Gemcitabine/Paclitaxel (Gem/Pac) standard of care compared to those in the control group. A metabolomic reconstruction of the WGS of the gut microbiota further revealed that an enrichment of bacterial population involved in drug metabolism in the T2D group.
Project description:Major depressive disorder is caused by gene-environment interactions and the gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the development of depression. However, the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota modulates depression remain elusive. Herein, we detected the differentially expressed hippocampal long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) between mice inoculated with gut microbiota from major depressive disorder patients or healthy controls, to identify the effects of gut microbiota-dysbiosis on gene regulation patterns at the transcriptome level. We also performed functional analysis to explore the microbial-regulated pathological mechanisms of depression. Two hundred mRNAs, 358 lncRNAs and 4 miRNAs were differentially expressed between the two groups. Functional analysis of these differentially expressed mRNAs indicated dysregulated inflammatory response to be the primary pathological change. Intersecting the differentially expressed mRNAs with targets of differentially expressed miRNAs identified 47 intersected mRNAs, which were mainly related to neurodevelopment. Additionally, we constructed a microbial-regulated lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network based on RNA-RNA interactions. According to the competitive endogenous RNA hypothesis, two neurodevelopmental ceRNA sub-networks implicating in depression were identified. This study provides new understanding of the pathogenesis of depression induced by gut microbiota-dysbiosis and may act as a theoretical basis for the development of gut microbiota-based antidepressants.
Project description:Gut microbial dysbiosis can play a causal role of in colorectal cancer. Gut microbiota chnages with age and becomes moer pro-inflammatory. We sought to determine whether microbiota from Old donors promotes more tumor formation in recipients than meterial from young donors.
Project description:Gut microbial dysbiosis can play a causal role of in colorectal cancer. Gut microbiota chnages with age and becomes moer pro-inflammatory. We sought to determine whether microbiota from Old donors promotes more tumor formation in recipients than meterial from young donors.
Project description:Gut microbiota dysbiosis characterizes systemic metabolic alteration, yet its causality is debated. To address this issue, we transplanted antibiotic-free conventional wild-type mice with either dysbiotic (“obese”) or eubiotic (“lean”) gut microbiota and fed them either a NC or a 72%HFD. We report that, on NC, obese gut microbiota transplantation reduces hepatic gluconeogenesis with decreased hepatic PEPCK activity, compared to non-transplanted mice. Of note, this phenotype is blunted in conventional NOD2KO mice. By contrast, lean microbiota transplantation did not affect hepatic gluconeogenesis. In addition, obese microbiota transplantation changed both gut microbiota and microbiome of recipient mice. Interestingly, hepatic gluconeogenesis, PEPCK and G6Pase activity were reduced even once mice transplanted with the obese gut microbiota were fed a 72%HFD, together with reduced fed glycaemia and adiposity compared to non-transplanted mice. Notably, changes in gut microbiota and microbiome induced by the transplantation were still detectable on 72%HFD. Finally, we report that obese gut microbiota transplantation may impact on hepatic metabolism and even prevent HFD-increased hepatic gluconeogenesis. Our findings may provide a new vision of gut microbiota dysbiosis, useful for a better understanding of the aetiology of metabolic diseases. all livers are from NC-fed mice only.