Leptin improves intestinal flora dysfunction in mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity

Acupoint catgut embedding regulates community structure of intestinal flora in central obesity during perimenopause

Acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) is a safe and effective method for treating obesity. However, how it modulates intestinal flora and adiponectin remains unclear. We employed 16s rRNA sequencing technology to investigate ACE induced changes in intestinal flora and its association with adiponectin in subjects who received real (n = 41) and Sham (n = 41) stimulation. After treatment, the ACE group's body weight, BMI, WC, HC, WHtR, and WHR were significantly lower than those of the Control group (p < .01), there was statistically significant differences in ADPN between the two groups (p < .01). ACE reduces the species abundance and increased the diversity and differences of the gut microbiota in perimenopausal patients with central obesity. Most notably, there was an increase in Kosakonia and Klebsiella after ACE treatment in the patients. Significant negatively correlations were found between body weight/waist circumference and adiponectin. Increases in Klebsiella and Kosakonia were positively correlated with adiponectin, and were negatively correlated with body weight/waist circumference. Our results showed increases in Klebsiella and Kosakonia were correlated with body weight/waist circumference and adiponectin. These findings suggest that ACE-induced weight loss is probably in part associated with increases in adiponectin, Klebsiella and Kosakonia.Trial re-registration: www.chictr.org.cn, ID: ChiCTR2400087718, Registration Date: August 2nd 2024.

Normal diet ameliorates obesity more safely and effectively than ketogenic diet does in high-fat diet-induced obesity mouse based on gut microbiota and lipid metabolism

Growing evidence supports the efficacy of ketogenic diets for inducing weight loss, but there are also potential health risks due to their unbalanced nutrient composition. We aim at assessing relative effectiveness of a balanced diet and ketogenic diet for reversing metabolic syndrome in a diet-induced C57BL/6J mouse model. Mice were fed high-fat diet to induce obesity. Obese individuals were then fed either ketogenic or balanced diets as an obesity intervention. Serum, liver, fat and faecal samples were analysed. We observed that both diet interventions led to significant decrease in body weight. The ketogenic intervention was less effective in reducing adipocyte cell size and led to dyslipidaemia. The composition of the gut microbiome in the balanced diet intervention was more similar to the non-obese control group and had improved functional attributes. Our results indicate intervention with balanced diets ameliorates obesity more safely and effectively than ketogenic diets in diet-induced obesity mouse model.

The effect of extruded multigrain powder on metabolism and intestinal flora of high-fat-diet induced C57BL/6J mice

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of extruded multigrain (Tartary buckwheat, oat and black bean) powder product (MG) fed with a high-fat-diet (HFD) on metabolism and gut microbiota modulation of mice. Thirty C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet (n = 10), HFD (n = 10) or HFD replacing 40% MG (HFMG, n = 10) for six weeks. The results showed that MG reduced the weight gain of HFD-induced mice, alleviated the accumulation of epididymal- and perirenal fat, improved the glucose tolerance, and reduced the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Histopathological observation showed that the number and size of fat vacuoles in liver cytoplasm were significantly reduced, the thickness of colon muscle was increased, and the cells were closely arranged after the intervention of HFMG. Moreover, the intervention of HFMG could promote the release of butyric acid in short chain fatty acids, improve the disorder of intestinal flora in HFD-induced mice, increase the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, while reduce the relative abundance of Firmicutes, which may have a positive effect on inhibiting obesity induced by HFD. This study could provide a theoretical basis for improving the economic added value of extruded MG powder-based products and preventing chronic diseases such as obesity.

Effects of lactoferrin on intestinal flora of metabolic disorder mice

To study the mechanism of lactoferrin (LF) regulating metabolic disorders in nutritionally obese mice through intestinal microflora. Twenty-one male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group, model group and LF treatment group. The mice in control group were fed with maintenance diet and drank freely. The mice in model group were fed with high fat diet and drank freely. The mice in LF treatment group were fed with high fat diet and drinking water containing 2% LF freely. Body weight was recorded every week. Visceral fat ratio was measured at week 12. Blood glucose and serum lipid level were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer. The gut microbiota of mice was examined using 16 s rRNA sequencing method. LF treatment significantly reduced the levels of visceral adipose ratio, blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in high-fat diet mice (p < 0.05). It can be seen that drinking water with 2% LF had a significant impact on metabolic disorders. At the same time, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio(F/B) of LF treated mice was decreased. The abundance of Deferribacteres, Oscillibacter, Butyricicoccus, Acinetobacter and Mucispirillum in LF treatment group were significantly decreased, and the abundance of Dubosiella was significantly increased (p < 0.05). In the LF-treated group, the expression levels of glucose metabolism genes in gut microbiota were increased, and the expression levels of pyruvate metabolism genes were decreased. It can be seen that metabolic disorders were related to intestinal flora. In conclusion, LF regulates metabolic disorders by regulating intestinal flora.

Analysis of gut microbiome composition, function, and phenotype in patients with osteoarthritis

Gut microbiome (GMB) disturbance can induce chronic low-grade inflammation, which is closely related to the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis (OA). However, the relationship between GMB and OA remains unclear. In this study, we collected stool samples from OA patients and healthy people, and performed Alpha diversity, Beta diversity, MetaStat, and LEfSe analysis by 16S rRNA sequencing to find out the species with significant difference between the two groups. Random forest analysis was performed to find out biomarkers that could distinguish between OA patients and healthy people. PICRUSt and Bugbase analysis were used to compare the difference in functions and phenotypes. Multivariate linear regression analysis (MaAsLin) was used to adjust for gender, age, and body mass index (BMI). The results showed that there was a significant difference in the overall composition of GMB between the two groups (p = 0.005). After adjusting for gender, age, and BMI, we found that p_Bacteroidota (Q = 0.039), c_Bacteroidia (Q = 0.039), and o_Bacteroidales (Q = 0.040) were enriched in the OA group, while s_Prevotella_copri (Q = 0.001) was enriched in the healthy control group. Prevotella could distinguish between OA patients and healthy people with a better diagnostic power (AUC = 77.5%, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 66.9-88.1%). The functions of DNA transcription, amino acid metabolism (including histidine, lysine, and isoleucine), ATP metabolism, and phospholipid metabolism significantly decreased, while glucose metabolism, protein acetylation, and aspartate kinase activity significantly increased in the OA group. In terms of phenotypes, we found that the relative abundance of aerobic (p = 0.003) and Gram-negative (p < 0.001) was higher in the OA group, while contains mobile elements (p = 0.001) and Gram-positive (p < 0.001) were higher in the healthy control group. Our study preliminarily demonstrated that there were differences in the composition, function, and phenotype of GMB in stool samples between OA patients and healthy people, which provided a novel perspective on further study in OA.

An Extract of Artemisia argyi Leaves Rich in Organic Acids and Flavonoids Promotes Growth in BALB/c Mice by Regulating Intestinal Flora

Simple Summary

With the development of the economy, people are paying more attention to their health. Regular eating habits and quality ingredients are becoming increasingly popular. As an important human food source, the safety of animal products has received more attention. In China, there is a long history of research on Chinese herbal medicine. Many Chinese herbal medicines have been used in animal husbandry because of their naturally low toxicity and various active functions. Artemisia argyi (A. argyi) is a Chinese herbal medicine with a long history of use. It has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and blood activating functions. In this study, A. argyi leaves extract was investigated to determine if it has positive regulatory effects on animal growth in order to develop its potential as a plant-derived feed additive.

Abstract

In the context of global restrictions on the use of antibiotics, there has been increased research on natural plant-based ingredients as additives. It has been proved that many natural active ingredients contained in plants have positive effects on animal growth regulation. Artemisia argyi (A. argyi) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and its extracts have been reported to have a variety of biological activities. Therefore, in order to explore the potential of the active extract of Artemisia argyi leaves (ALE) as a plant source additive, mice were fed with ALE at different concentrations for 60 days. Finally, the effects of ALE were evaluated by the growth indexes, blood indexes, and intestinal microflora changes of the mice. It was found that a medium concentration of ALE (150 mg/kg) could promote growth, and especially improved the feed efficiency of the mice. However, high concentrations of ALE (300 mg/kg) had some negative effects on the growth of mice, especially liver damage, which significantly increased AST and ALT levels in the blood. Therefore, the 150 mg/kg ALE treatment group was selected for 16S rDNA analysis. It was found that ALE could play a positive role by regulating the proportion of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes in the intestinal tract. In particular, it can significantly up-regulate the quantities of Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium. These results suggest that ALE at appropriate concentrations can positively regulate animal growth.

Electroacupuncture Combined With Diet Treatment Has a Therapeutic Effect on Perimenopausal Patients With Abdominal Obesity by Improving the Community Structure of Intestinal Flora

Background: This study explored the influences of electroacupuncture combined with dietary intervention on the intestinal flora in perimenopausal patients with abdominal obesity by using the 16s rRNA sequencing technology.

Methods: Perimenopausal patients with abdominal obesity were divided into the Electroacupuncture group and the Control group. Patients in the Control group received healthy lifestyle education, while those in the Electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture combined with dietary intervention. Before and after treatment, the weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-height ratio (WHtR), waist to hip ratio (WHR), and body mass index (BMI) of the patients were recorded; the levels of serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting insulin (FINS), and fasting blood glucose (FGB) were evaluated; and the abundance, diversity, and species differences of intestinal flora were analyzed using 16s rRNA sequencing technology.

Results: The body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, BMI, WHR, and WHtR of patients in the Electroacupuncture group after treatment were lower than those before treatment. Compared with the Control group, patients in the Electroacupuncture group after treatment displayed lower waist circumference, WHtR, WHR, TG, and LDL levels as well as species abundance, higher species diversity, and lager species difference in the intestinal flora. Besides, the proportions of Klebsiella and Kosakonia in the intestinal flora of patients in the Electroacupuncture group after treatment were larger than those before treatment.

Conclusion: Electroacupuncture combined with diet treatment generated a therapeutic effect on abdominal obesity in perimenopausal patients by improving the community structure of intestinal flora.

Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) continues as the main cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Interestingly, emerging evidence highlights the role of gut microbiota in regulating the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease, but few studies have systematically assessed the alterations and influence of gut microbiota in AMI patients. As one approach to address this deficiency, in this study the composition of fecal microflora was determined from Chinese AMI patients and links between gut microflora and clinical features and functional pathways of AMI were assessed. Fecal samples from 30 AMI patients and 30 healthy controls were collected to identify the gut microbiota composition and the alterations using bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We found that gut microflora in AMI patients contained a lower abundance of the phylum Firmicutes and a slightly higher abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes compared to the healthy controls. Chao1 (P = 0.0472) and PD-whole-tree (P = 0.0426) indices were significantly lower in the AMI versus control group. The AMI group was characterized by higher levels of the genera Megasphaera, Butyricimonas, Acidaminococcus, and Desulfovibrio, and lower levels of Tyzzerella 3, Dialister, [Eubacterium] ventriosum group, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Lachnospiraceae ND3007 group as compared to that in the healthy controls (P < 0.05). The common metabolites of these genera are mostly short-chain fatty acids, which reveals that the gut flora is most likely to affect the occurrence and development of AMI through the short-chain fatty acid pathway. In addition, our results provide the first evidence revealing remarkable differences in fecal microflora among subgroups of AMI patients, including the STEMI vs. NSTEMI, IRA-LAD vs. IRA-Non-LAD and Multiple (≥2 coronary stenosis) vs. Single coronary stenosis groups. Several gut microflora were also correlated with clinically significant characteristics of AMI patients, including LVEDD, LVEF, serum TnI and NT-proBNP, Syntax score, counts of leukocytes, neutrophils and monocytes, and fasting serum glucose levels. Taken together, the data generated enables the prediction of several functional pathways as based on the fecal microfloral composition of AMI patients. Such information may enhance our comprehension of AMI pathogenesis.