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BMC Psychiatry Jan 2024Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by sadness and anhedonia, but also physical symptoms such as changes in appetite and weight. Gut microbiota has been...
BACKGROUND
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by sadness and anhedonia, but also physical symptoms such as changes in appetite and weight. Gut microbiota has been hypothesized to be involved in MDD through gut-brain axis signaling. Moreover, antidepressants display antibacterial properties in the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to compare the gut microbiota and systemic inflammatory profile of young patients with MDD before and after initiation of antidepressant treatment and/or psychotherapy in comparison with a non-depressed control group (nonMDD).
METHODS
Fecal and blood samples were collected at baseline and at follow-up after four and twelve weeks, respectively. Patients started treatment immediately after collection of the baseline samples. The gut microbiota was characterized by 16 S rRNA gene sequencing targeting the hypervariable V4 region. Plasma levels of 49 unique immune markers were assessed using Mesoscale.
RESULTS
In total, 27 MDD patients and 32 nonMDD controls were included in the study. The gut microbiota in the baseline samples of MDD versus nonMDD participants did not differ regarding α- or β-diversity. However, there was a higher relative abundance of the genera Ruminococcus gnavus group, and a lower relative abundance of the genera Desulfovibrio, Tyzzerella, Megamonas, Olsenella, Gordonibacter, Allisonella and Rothia in the MDD group compared to the nonMDD group. In the MDD group, there was an increase in the genera Rothia, Desulfovibrio, Gordinobacteer and Lactobacillus, while genera belonging to the Firmicutes phylum were found depleted at twelve weeks follow-up compared to baseline. In the MDD group, IL-7, IL-8 and IL-17b levels were elevated compared to the nonMDD group at baseline. Furthermore, MDI score in the MDD group was found to correlate with Bray-Curtis dissimilarity at baseline, and several inflammatory markers at both baseline and after initiation of antidepressant treatment.
CONCLUSION
Several bacterial taxa differed between the MDD group and the nonMDD group at baseline and changed in relative abundance during antidepressant treatment and/or psychotherapy. The MDD group was furthermore found to have a pro-inflammatory profile compared to the nonMDD group at baseline. Further studies are required to investigate the gut microbiota and pro-inflammatory profile of patients with MDD.
Topics: Humans; Depressive Disorder, Major; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Antidepressive Agents; Cognition; Psychotherapy
PubMed: 38297265
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05547-z -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Dec 2023The high risk for anxiety and depression among individuals with stress has become a growing concern globally. Stress-related mental disorders are often accompanied by...
The high risk for anxiety and depression among individuals with stress has become a growing concern globally. Stress-related mental disorders are often accompanied by symptoms of metabolic dysfunction. Cordycepin is a Chinese herbal medicine commonly used for its metabolism-enhancing effects. We aimed to investigate the dose-dependent effects of cordycepin on psycho-metabolic disorders induced by stress. Our behavioral tests revealed that 12.5 mg/kg cordycepin by oral gavage significantly attenuated the anxiety- and depression-like behaviors induced by stress in mice. At 25 mg/kg, cordycepin restored the reduced weight and cell size of adipose tissues caused by stress. Besides ameliorating the metabolic dysbiosis of gut microbiota due to stress, cordycepin significantly reduced the elevated contents of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the serum and prefrontal cortex at 12.5 mg/kg and reversed the decrease in adipose induced by stress at 25 mg/kg. Correlation analyses further revealed that 12.5 mg/kg cordycepin reversed stress-induced changes in the intestinal microbiome of NK4A214_group and decreased serum Myristic acid and PC(15:0/18:1(11Z)) and cytokines, such as IFN-γ and IL-1β. 25 mg/kg cordycepin reversed stress-induced changes in the abundances of Prevoteaceae_UCG-001 and Desulfovibrio, increased serum L-alanine level, and decreased serum Inosine-5'-monophosphate level. Cordycepin thereby ameliorated the anxiety- and depression-like behaviors as well as disturbances in the adipose metabolism of mice exposed to stress. Overall, these findings offer evidence indicating that the prominent effects of cordycepin in the brain and adipose tissues are dose dependent, thus highlight the importance of evaluating the precise therapeutic effects of different cordycepin doses on psycho-metabolic diseases.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Animals; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Obesity; Brain; Deoxyadenosines; Depression
PubMed: 38294969
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115796 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023Colorectal cancer (CRC) commonly arises in individuals with premalignant colon lesions known as polyps, with both conditions being influenced by gut microbiota....
Colorectal cancer (CRC) commonly arises in individuals with premalignant colon lesions known as polyps, with both conditions being influenced by gut microbiota. Host-related factors and inherent characteristics of polyps and tumors may contribute to microbiome variability, potentially acting as confounding factors in the discovery of taxonomic biomarkers for both conditions. In this study we employed shotgun metagenomics to analyze the taxonomic diversity of bacteria present in fecal samples of 90 clinical subjects (comprising 30 CRC patients, 30 with polyps and 30 controls). Our findings revealed a decrease in taxonomic richness among individuals with polyps and CRC, with significant dissimilarities observed among the study groups. We identified significant alterations in the abundance of specific taxa associated with polyps (Streptococcaceae, , and ) and CRC (Lactobacillales, Clostridiaceae, , SFB, , and ). Clostridiaceae exhibited significantly lower abundance in the early stages of CRC. Additionally, our study revealed a positive co-occurrence among underrepresented genera in CRC, while demonstrating a negative co-occurrence between and , suggesting potential antagonistic relationships. Moreover, we observed variations in taxonomic richness and/or abundance within the polyp and CRC bacteriome linked to polyp size, tumor stage, dyslipidemia, diabetes with metformin use, sex, age, and family history of CRC. These findings provide potential new biomarkers to enhance early CRC diagnosis while also demonstrating how intrinsic host factors contribute to establishing a heterogeneous microbiome in patients with CRC and polyps.
PubMed: 38293554
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1292490 -
Frontiers in Bioengineering and... 2023The gut-dwelling microbiota is an indispensable part of termites. It is influenced by a series of factors, such as diet and captivity. The objectives of this study were...
The gut-dwelling microbiota is an indispensable part of termites. It is influenced by a series of factors, such as diet and captivity. The objectives of this study were to study the metabolic functions of hindgut microbiota and to investigate the influence of captivity on the hindgut microbiota. The dampwood termite was reared in the laboratory for 6 months. We conducted the metabolome analysis of the fat body from the freshly-collected workers (FBF), the hindgut fluid of the freshly-collected workers (HFF), and the hindgut fluid of laboratory-maintained workers. In addition, the 16S rRNA genes from the hindgut bacteria in the freshly-collected and laboratory-maintained workers were sequenced. According to our results, the concentrations of metabolites associated with amino acid biosynthesis, vitamin biosynthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, and cofactor biosynthesis were higher in HFF compared with those in FBF, suggesting that the hindgut microbiota provides nutritional factors to the host. However, after captivity, the concentrations of metabolites in the hindgut associated with amino acid biosynthesis, nucleotide sugar metabolism, vitamin biosynthesis, and carbon metabolism decreased, while those associated with the steroid hormone biosynthesis and ovarian steroidogenesis increased. Meanwhile, the 16S amplicon study revealed that the abundance of certain bacteria changed after captivity, such as uncultured Termite Group 1 bacterium, Symbiothrix dinenymphae, and unclassified . Our findings show that captivity influences the hindgut microbiota and shed light on the metabolic potential of the hindgut microbiota.
PubMed: 38288244
DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1228918 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2023According to some recent observational studies, the gut microbiota influences atherosclerosis via the gut microbiota-artery axis. However, the causal role of the gut...
BACKGROUND
According to some recent observational studies, the gut microbiota influences atherosclerosis via the gut microbiota-artery axis. However, the causal role of the gut microbiota in atherosclerosis remains unclear. Therefore, we used a Mendelian randomization (MR) strategy to try to dissect this causative link.
METHODS
The biggest known genome-wide association study (GWAS) (n = 13,266) from the MiBioGen collaboration was used to provide summary data on the gut microbiota for a two-sample MR research. Data on atherosclerosis were obtained from publicly available GWAS data from the FinnGen consortium, including cerebral atherosclerosis (104 cases and 218,688 controls), coronary atherosclerosis (23,363 cases and 187,840 controls), and peripheral atherosclerosis (6631 cases and 162,201 controls). The causal link between gut microbiota and atherosclerosis was investigated using inverse variance weighting, MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode approaches, among which inverse variance weighting was the main research method. Cochran's Q statistic was used to quantify the heterogeneity of instrumental variables (IVs), and the MR Egger intercept test was used to assess the pleiotropy of IVs.
RESULTS
Inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) estimation showed that had a protective influence on cerebral atherosclerosis (OR = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.01-0.67, = 0.018), while (OR = 5.39, 95% CI: 1.50-19.37, = 0.010), (OR = 6.87, 95% CI: 1.60-29.49, = 0.010), (OR = 2.88, 95% CI: 1.18-7.05, = 0.021), and (OR = 5.26, 95% CI: 1.28-21.61, = 0.021) had pathogenic effects on cerebral atherosclerosis. For (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.76-0.99, = 0.039), the (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.80-1.00, = 0.048), the (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.69-0.94, = 0.006), and the (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77-0.98, = 0.023) were protective against coronary atherosclerosis. However, the (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.00-1.24, = 0.049) had a pathogenic effect on coronary atherosclerosis. Finally, (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.69-0.99, = 0.036), (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.61-0.94, = 0.013), (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60-0.96, = 0.022), and (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.46-0.92, = 0.013), these four microbiota have a protective effect on peripheral atherosclerosis. However, for the (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.01-1.56, = 0.040) and the (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.04-1.42, = 0.016), there is a pathogenic role for peripheral atherosclerosis. No heterogeneity was found for instrumental variables, and no considerable horizontal pleiotropy was observed.
CONCLUSION
We discovered that the presence of probiotics and pathogens in the host is causally associated with atherosclerosis, and atherosclerosis at different sites is causally linked to specific gut microbiota. The specific gut microbiota associated with atherosclerosis identified by Mendelian randomization studies provides precise clinical targets for the treatment of atherosclerosis. In the future, we can further examine the gut microbiota's therapeutic potential for atherosclerosis if we have a better grasp of the causal relationship between it and atherosclerosis.
Topics: Humans; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Coronary Artery Disease; Genome-Wide Association Study; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Atherosclerosis; Bacteroidetes; Clostridiales; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis
PubMed: 38283337
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1282072 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, and gut microbes are associated with the development and...
BACKGROUND
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, and gut microbes are associated with the development and progression of NAFLD. Despite numerous studies exploring the changes in gut microbes associated with NAFLD, there was no consistent pattern of changes.
METHOD
We retrieved studies on the human fecal microbiota sequenced by 16S rRNA gene amplification associated with NAFLD from the NCBI database up to April 2023, and re-analyzed them using bioinformatic methods.
RESULTS
We finally screened 12 relevant studies related to NAFLD, which included a total of 1,189 study subjects (NAFLD, = 654; healthy control, = 398; obesity, = 137). Our results revealed a significant decrease in gut microbial diversity with the occurrence and progression of NAFLD (SMD = -0.32; 95% CI -0.42 to -0.21; < 0.001). Alpha diversity and the increased abundance of several crucial genera, including , , and , can serve as an indication of their predictive risk ability for the occurrence and progression of NAFLD (all AUC > 0.7). The occurrence and progression of NAFLD are significantly associated with higher levels of LPS biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and lipid metabolism.
CONCLUSION
This study elucidated gut microbes relevance to disease development and identified potential risk-associated microbes and functional pathways associated with NAFLD occurrence and progression.
PubMed: 38249477
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1257903 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2023Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) is a complex autoimmune condition. With growing interest in the role of gut microbiota in autoimmune diseases, this research aimed to explore...
BACKGROUND
Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) is a complex autoimmune condition. With growing interest in the role of gut microbiota in autoimmune diseases, this research aimed to explore the potential causal relationship between gut microbiota and GCA, and the mediating effects of specific intermediaries.
METHODS
Using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) design, we investigated associations between 191 microbial taxa and GCA. A two-step MR technique discerned the significant mediators on this relationship, followed by Multivariable MR analyses to quantify the direct influence of gut microbiota on GCA and mediation effect proportion, adjusting for these mediators.
RESULTS
Nine taxa displayed significant associations with GCA. Among them, families like Bacteroidales and Clostridiaceae1 had Odds Ratios (OR) of 1.48 (p=0.043) and 0.52 (p=5.51e-3), respectively. Genera like Clostridium sensu stricto1 and Desulfovibrio showed ORs of 0.48 (p=5.39e-4) and 1.48 (p=0.037), respectively. Mediation analyses identified 25 hydroxyvitamin D level (mediation effect of 19.95%), CD14+ CD16- monocyte counts (mediation effect of 27.40%), and CD4+ T cell counts (mediation effect of 28.51%) as significant intermediaries.
CONCLUSION
Our findings provide invaluable insights into the complex interplay between specific gut microbiota taxa and GCA. By highlighting the central role of gut microbiota in influencing GCA risk and long-term recurrence, and their interactions with vital immune mediators, this research paves the way for potential therapeutic interventions in GCA management.
Topics: Humans; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Giant Cell Arteritis; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Causality; Mediation Analysis; Autoimmune Diseases
PubMed: 38239360
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1280249 -
Translational Animal Science 2024We examined the effects of a blend of , multiple live probiotic bacteria, and their fermentation products on performance, health, and the ruminal bacterial community of...
Effects of dietary supplementation of a blend of , multiple live probiotic bacteria, and their fermentation products on performance, health, and rumen bacterial community of newly weaned beef steers during a 56-d receiving period.
We examined the effects of a blend of , multiple live probiotic bacteria, and their fermentation products on performance, health, and the ruminal bacterial community of newly weaned beef steers during a 56-d receiving period. Forty newly weaned Angus crossbred steers (221 ± 25.6 kg BW; 180 ± 17 d of age) were stratified by body weight () into four pens (10 steers per pen) such that each pen had a similar average BW at the beginning of the experiment. The pens were randomly assigned to receive a corn silage basal diet (CON; = 20) or the basal diet supplemented with 9 g/steer/d of PRO feed additive (PRO; = 20). The PRO additive is a blend of and the fermentation products of , , , , and . The DMI and water consumed were monitored using the GrowSafe intake nodes and custom flow meters, respectively. BWs were recorded weekly to calculate average daily gain (). Before morning feeding, 10 mL of blood was taken from each steer on days 0-7, and thereafter weekly for analyses of immune cells, plasma glucose, and NEFAs. On day 56, rumen fluid samples (200 mL each) were collected from all the steers for microbiome analysis. Over the 56-d receiving period, the supplemental PRO had no effects on DMI, water intake, or ADG. However, compared to CON, beef steers fed supplemental PRO tended to have greater ADG ( = 0.08) and BW ( = 0.07) during the first 14 d of the study. There was a treatment × day interaction ( ≤ 0.05) for WBC, neutrophils and monocytes over the 56 d such that beef steers fed supplemental PRO had lower blood concentrations on certain days during the first 7 d after weaning, indicating reduced inflammation or stress response. The results of the rumen microbiome analysis revealed that the relative abundance of complex fiber degrading or obligate proton-reducing bacterial genera such as , group, , , and were greater ( ≤ 0.05) in beef steers fed supplemental PRO compared to CON. This study demonstrated that dietary supplementation of PRO improved the growth performance, reduced stress or inflammatory response during the initial days after weaning, and altered the ruminal bacterial community toward increased relative abundance of bacterial genera associated with improved rumen function.
PubMed: 38221963
DOI: 10.1093/tas/txad143 -
The Science of the Total Environment Mar 2024An abundant body of scientific studies and regulatory guidelines substantiates antimicrobial efficacy of freshwater chlorination ensuring drinking water safety in large...
An abundant body of scientific studies and regulatory guidelines substantiates antimicrobial efficacy of freshwater chlorination ensuring drinking water safety in large populations worldwide. In contrast to the purposeful use of chlorination ensuring antimicrobial safety of drinking water, only a limited body of research has addressed the molecular impact of chlorinated drinking water exposure on the gut microbiota. Here, for the first time, we have examined the differential effects of drinking water regimens stratified by chlorination agent [inorganic (HOCl) versus chloramine (TCIC)] on the C57BL/6J murine fecal microbiota. To this end, we exposed C57BL/6J mice to chlorinated drinking water regimens followed by fecal bacterial microbiota analysis at the end of the three-week feeding period employing 16S rRNA sequencing. α-diversity was strongly reduced when comparing chlorinated versus control drinking water groups and community dissimilarities (β-diversity) were significant between groups even when comparing HOCl and TCIC. We detected significant differences in fecal bacterial composition as a function of drinking water chlorination observable at the phylum and genus levels. Differential abundance analysis of select amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) revealed changes as a function of chlorination exposure [up: Lactobacillus ASV1; Akkermansia muciniphila ASV7; Clostridium ss1 ASV10; down: Ileibacterium valens ASV5; Desulfovibrio ASV11; Lachnospiraceae UCG-006 ASV15]. Given the established complexity of murine and human gastrointestinal microbiota and their role in health and disease, the translational relevance of the chlorination-induced changes documented by us for the first time in the fecal murine microbiota remains to be explored.
Topics: Mice; Humans; Animals; Drinking Water; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microbiota; Anti-Infective Agents
PubMed: 38199366
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169933 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023Lam. leaf is not only a new food resource in China, but also a traditional medicinal plant. It is commonly used in the folk to alleviate constipation, but its laxative...
Lam. leaf is not only a new food resource in China, but also a traditional medicinal plant. It is commonly used in the folk to alleviate constipation, but its laxative mechanism is not fully understood. Hence we investigated it in loperamide-induced functional constipation (FC) mice. The results showed that MOAE significantly regulated not only gastrointestinal hormones and neurotransmitters in serum but also important gastrointestinal motility factors in the enteric nervous system (ENS)-interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs)-smooth muscle cell (SMC) network. Meanwhile, MOAE attenuated intestinal inflammation, increased cecal short-chain fatty acid levels and colonic antimicrobial peptide expression, and improved the impaired intestinal barrier function in loperamide-induced FC mice. In addition, MOAE also increased fecal water content by inhibiting the mRNA expression of colonic aquaporins ( and ) in FC mice. Interestingly and importantly, MOAE affected the intestinal microbiota by inhibiting some key "constipation-causing" microbiota, such as Bacteroidaceae, Clostridiaceae, , and , and promoting the growth of other important "constipation-curing" microbiota, such as , , and . These important taxa are significantly associated with a variety of indicators of constipation. These findings suggest that MOAE can promote defecation through its rich chemical composition to modulate the ENS-ICCs-SMCs network and the gut microecosystem.
PubMed: 38192287
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1315402