Project description:Gemcitabine treatment shifts the intestinal microbiota of PC mice towards an inflammatory profile which may worsen mucositis and side effects observed upon chemotherapy. We explored the effect of a specific probiotics blend administered, with or without gemcitabine treatment, to PC xenografted mice.
Project description:Fecal samples collected on day 5 from randomly selected colitic SD rats were analyzed for gut microbiota by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The orally administered Dex-P-laden NPA2 coacervate (Dex-P/NPA2) significantly restores the diversity of gut microbiota compared with colitic SD rats in the Dex-P/PBS group and the untreated colitic rats (Control).
Project description:Epithelial cells in the intestinal mucosa maintain gut homeostasis by interacting with different types of microbiota. Proper appropriate immune responses in the intestinal epithelium are essential for the preservation of the intestinal homeostasis. In the present study, we aimed to identify genotypic and phenotypic changes in mice following oral feeding of various substances which has been shown to differentially affect intestinal homeostasis. We orally fed C57BL/6 mice for either one or seven days with one of the four substances: dextran sulfate sodium (DSS); Typhoid VI Polysaccharide vaccine (Vi vaccine); antibiotic cocktails (AB) of ampicillin, vancomycin, neomycin, and metronidazole; or(probiotics)consisting of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus R0011and L. Acidophilus R0052.While DSS and AB feeding resulted in severe gut pathology characterized by infiltration of inflammatory cells, epithelium shedding, and distortion of paneth cells. Vi vaccine and probiotics feeding resulted in phenotypic improvement of the gut health characterized by epithelial cell proliferation and increased formation of tight junctions between epithelial cells. Interestingly, microarray data showed significant increase in the expression levels of genes regulating cell proliferation and intestinal homeostasis in the gut epithelium of probiotics-and Vi vaccine-fed mice compared to DSS-or AB-fed mice. In addition, expression levels of genes regulating cell death and inflammation were significantly increased in the gut epithelium of DSS- and AB-fed mice. These results suggest that intestinal homeostasis play a pivotal role in maintaining gut health and, subsequently, in protecting host against enteric bacteria and external pathogens infection.
Project description:The pharmacological significance of B vitamins, essential for various metabolic processes, and the therapeutic potential of probiotics in gastrointestinal health have been well-documented. However, the interactions between these entities remain poorly understood. In this study, we endeavored to elucidate the potential interplay between B vitamins and probiotics utilizing liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, pharmacokinetic modeling, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Employing healthy and pseudo-germ-free rat models, we revealed that probiotics significantly improve the absorption of B1, B3, B5, and B12, and that the gut microbiota played a mediating role in this enhanced absorption of B vitamins by probiotics. High-throughput genetic sequencing uncovered a synergistic effect of B vitamins and probiotics in modulating the gut microbiota, particularly increasing the abundance of Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia. Furthermore, in vitro experiments demonstrated that probiotics used in this study had a relatively minor influence on the production and permeability of B vitamins, while B vitamins did not significantly contribute to the growth, auto-aggregation, and adhesion of probiotics. In summary, a complex network connection exists between B vitamins and probiotics, wherein the gut microbiota emerges as a pivotal factor that cannot be overlooked.
Project description:Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) is a life-threatening condition characterized by lung inflammation and damage. Mechanical ventilation can exacerbate this condition. The gut microbiome, known to impact health, might have implications for ALI/ARDS outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the effects of probiotics in a murine ALI model. Using a two-hit approach combining lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation and mechanical ventilation-induced injury, a severe lung injury model was established in mice. Probiotics containing Bifidobacterium spp. were administered due to their known interactions with immune cells and immune pathway modulation. The effects of probiotic administration on lung inflammation severity were evalu ated through biochemical, and histological analyses of lung tissue, and single-cell RNA sequencing analysis. Probiotic administration increased Bifidobacterium spp. composition in the gut microbiota and mitigated lung damage and inflammation. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed the stimulation of Anxa1high macrophages, possibly promoting anti-inflammatory responses.
Project description:The potential of orally administered colostrum-derived EVs to regulate gut microbiota dysbiosis and prevent non-alcoholic steatohepatitis was evaluated. The results demonstrated that colostrum-derived EVs improved steatosis, fibrosis, and inflammation. Transcriptome analysis showed decreased lipid metabolism, bacterial response, and inflammatory responses in the intestine, and reduced inflammatory and fibrosis-related pathways in the liver. Gut microbiota and metabolite analysis revealed an increased abundance of Akkermansia and elevated cholesterol excretion. Additionally, treatment with colostrum-derived EVs increased the production of tight junction proteins and mucin in the intestine. These findings suggest that increased Akkermansia due to colostrum-derived EVs improves intestinal inflammation and barrier function, preventing endotoxin translocation to the liver and thereby reducing liver inflammation and fibrosis.
Project description:Periodontitis increases the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the precise mechanisms are unclear. Here, gut dysbiosis induced by orally administered Porphyromonas gingivalis, a representative periodontopathic bacterium, was implicated in the deterioration of NAFLD pathology. C57BL/6 mice were administered with the vehicle, P. gingivalis or Prevotella intermedia, with weaker periodontal pathogenicity, followed by feeding on a choline-deficient, high fat diet (CDAHFD60). CDAHFD60 feeding induced hepatic steatosis, and combined bacterial administration further aggravated NAFLD pathology with increased fibrosis. Liver gene expression analyses revealed that genes involved in the NAFLD pathology were perturbed with distinctive expression profiles induced by different bacteria. These differences may be due to quantitative and qualitative differences in the influx of gut bacterial products because the serum endotoxin level, gut microbiota composition, and serum metabolite profile caused by ingested P. intermedia and P. gingivalis were different. These findings provide insights into mechanisms linking periodontitis and NAFLD.
Project description:Auricularia auricula is a well-known traditional edible and medicinal fungus with high nutritional and pharmacological values, as well as metabolic and immunoregulatory properties. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the effects of Auricularia auricula polysaccharides (AAP) on obesity and related metabolic endpoints, including the role of the gut microbiota, remain insufficiently understood. To determine the mechanistic role of the gut microbiota in observed anti-obesogenic effects AAP, faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and pseudo germ-free mice model treated with antibiotics were also applied, together with 16S rRNA genomic-derived taxonomic profiling. HFD murine exposure to AAP thwarted weight-gains, reduced fat depositing, together with upregulating thermogenesis proteomic biomarkers within adipose tissue. These effects were associated with diminished intestine/bloodstream-borne lipid transportation, together with enhanced glucose tolerance. FMT administered in tandem with antibiotic treatment demonstrated the intestinal microbiota was necessary in deploying AAP anti-obesogenic functions. Intestine-dwelling microbial population assessments discovered AAP to enhance (in a selective manner) Papillibacter cinnamivorans, a commensal bacterium having reduced presence within HFD mice. Notably, HFD mice treated with oral formulations of Papillibacter cinnamivorans diminished obesity and was linked to decreased intestinal lipid transportation. Datasets from the present study show that AAP thwarted dietary-driven obesity and metabolism-based disorders through regulating intestinal lipid transportation, a mechanism that is dependent on the gut commensal Papillibacter cinnamivorans. These results indicated AAP and Papillibacter cinnamivorans as newly identified pre- and probiotics that could possibly serve as novel countermeasure against obesity.