Metagenomic analyses of alcohol induced pathogenic alterations in the intestinal microbiome and the effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG treatment

Ceftriaxone alters the gut microbiome composition and reduces alcohol intake in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats

Ceftriaxone is an antibiotic that increases central nervous system (CNS) protein expression of the glutamate transporters GLT-1 and xCT and ameliorates pathological behaviors in rodent models of neurological disease and substance use disorder. However, little ceftriaxone passes through the blood-brain barrier, the CNS binding partner of ceftriaxone is unknown, and ceftriaxone does not consistently upregulate GLT-1 and xCT in cell culture. Ceftriaxone alters the gut microbiome composition in rodents and humans, and the microbiome-gut-brain axis regulates drug-seeking. Thus, here we test the hypothesis that ceftriaxone reduces alcohol intake while ameliorating alcohol-induced disruption of the gut microbiome composition. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats received intermittent access to alcohol (IAA) while controls received access to only water. Following 17 IAA sessions, ceftriaxone/vehicle treatment was given for 5 days. Analysis of the gut microbiome composition was assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing conducted on fecal pellets collected prior to and after alcohol consumption and following ceftriaxone treatment. Male rats displayed escalated alcohol intake and preference over the course of the 17 sessions; however, total alcohol intake did not differ between the sexes. Ceftriaxone reduced alcohol intake and preference in male and female rats. While alcohol affected a diverse set of amplicon sequencing variants (ASV), ceftriaxone markedly reduced the diversity of microbial communities reflected by a blooming of the Enterococcaceae family. The remaining effects of ceftriaxone, however, encompassed families both affected and unaffected by prior alcohol drinking and highlight the Ruminococcaceae and Muribaculaceae families as bidirectionally modulated by alcohol and ceftriaxone. Altogether, our study confirms that ceftriaxone reduces alcohol intake in rats and partially reverses alcohol-induced dysbiosis.

Fucoidan ameliorates alcohol-induced liver injury in mice through Parabacteroides distasonis-mediated regulation of the gut-liver axis

Polysaccharides can benefit the liver via modulation of the gut microbiota, but the exact mechanism is still unclear. This study demonstrated that the effect of Scytosiphon lomentaria fucoidan (SLF) on alcohol-induced liver injury can be closely related to the level of Parabacteroides distasonis (Pd) via in vivo and in vitro models. Further mice experiment showed that Pd alleviated liver injury and inflammation by suppressing the NF-κB/MAPK pathways and activating Nrf2 pathway. The underlying mechanism can be closely associated with modulation of the gut microbiota, particularly an increase in microbiota diversity and beneficial bacteria and a reduction in Proteobacteria. Targeted metabolomics indicated that Pd ameliorated alcohol-induced dysbiosis of microbiota metabolites profile, primarily affecting amino acid metabolism. Moreover, Pd reduced the level of total bile acids (BAs) and improved BAs profile, affecting the expression levels of BA-associated genes in the liver and ileum involved in BA synthesis, transport, and reabsorption. This study suggests that SLF can benefit alcohol-induced liver injury via P. distasonis-mediated regulation of the gut-liver axis.

Effect of chronic alcohol consumption on oral microbiota in rats with periodontitis

Background

The imbalance of oral microbiota can contribute to various oral disorders and potentially impact general health. Chronic alcohol consumption beyond a certain threshold has been implicated in influencing both the onset and progression of periodontitis. However, the mechanism by which chronic alcohol consumption affects periodontitis and its association with changes in the oral microbial community remains unclear.

Objective

This study used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to examine the dynamic changes in the oral microbial community of rats with periodontitis influenced by chronic alcohol consumption.

Methods

Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly allocated to either a periodontitis (P) or periodontitis + alcohol (PA) group. The PA group had unrestricted access to alcohol for 10 weeks, while the P group had access to water only. Four weeks later, both groups developed periodontitis. After 10 weeks, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in the rats' serum were measured. The oral swabs were obtained from rats, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was conducted. Alveolar bone status was assessed using hematoxylin and eosin staining and micro-computed tomography.

Results

Rats in the PA group exhibited more severe periodontal tissue damage compared to those in the periodontitis group. Although oral microbial diversity remained stable, the relative abundance of certain microbial communities differed significantly between the two groups. Actinobacteriota and Desulfobacterota were more prevalent at the phylum level in the PA group. At the genus level, Cutibacterium, Tissierella, Romboutsia, Actinomyces, Lawsonella, Anaerococcus, and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 were significantly more abundant in the PA group, while Haemophilus was significantly less abundant. Additionally, functional prediction using Tax4Fun revealed a significant enrichment of carbohydrate metabolism in the PA group.

Conclusion

Chronic alcohol consumption exacerbated periodontitis in rats and influenced the composition and functional characteristics of their oral microbiota, as indicated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing results. These microbial alterations may contribute to the exacerbation of periodontitis in rats due to chronic alcohol consumption.

Gut microbiome-brain-cirrhosis axis

Cirrhosis is characterized by inflammation, degeneration, and fibrosis of liver tissue. Along with being the most common cause of liver failure and liver transplant, cirrhosis is a significant risk factor for several neuropsychiatric conditions. The most common of these is HE, which is characterized by cognitive and ataxic symptoms, resulting from the buildup of metabolic toxins with liver failure. However, cirrhosis patients also show a significantly increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, and for mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. In recent years, more attention has been played to communication between the ways the gut and liver communicate with each other and with the central nervous system, and the way these organs influence each other's function. This bidirectional communication has come to be known as the gut-liver-brain axis. The gut microbiome has emerged as a key mechanism affecting gut-liver, gut-brain, and brain-liver communication. Clinical studies and animal models have demonstrated the significant patterns of gut dysbiosis when cirrhosis is present, both with or without concomitant alcohol use disorder, and have provided compelling evidence that this dysbiosis also influences the cognitive and mood-related behaviors. In this review, we have summarized the pathophysiological and cognitive effects associated with cirrhosis, links to cirrhosis-associated disruption of the gut microbiome, and the current evidence from clinical and preclinical studies for the modulation of the gut microbiome as a treatment for cirrhosis and associated neuropsychiatric conditions.

Inflammation, oxidative stress and gut microbiome perturbation: A narrative review of mechanisms and treatment of the alcohol hangover

Alcohol is the most widely abused substance in the world, the leading source of mortality in 15-49-year-olds, and a major risk factor for heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, and cancer. Despite this, alcohol is regularly misused in wider society. Consumers of excess alcohol often note a constellation of negative symptoms, known as the alcohol hangover. However, the alcohol hangover is not considered to have long-term clinical significance by clinicians or consumers. We undertook a critical review of the literature to demonstrate the pathophysiological mechanisms of the alcohol hangover. Hereafter, the alcohol hangover is re-defined as a manifestation of sickness behavior secondary to alcohol-induced inflammation, using the Bradford-Hill criteria to demonstrate causation above correlation. Alcohol causes inflammation through oxidative stress and endotoxemia. Alcohol metabolism is oxidative and increased intake causes relative tissue hypoxia and increased free radical generation. Tissue damage ensues through lipid peroxidation and the formation of DNA/protein adducts. Byproducts of alcohol metabolism such as acetaldehyde and congeners, sleep deprivation, and the activation of nonspecific inducible CYP2E1 in alcohol-exposed tissues exacerbate free radical generation. Tissue damage and cell death lead to inflammation, but in the intestine loss of epithelial cells leads to intestinal permeability, allowing the translocation of pathogenic bacteria to the systemic circulation (endotoxemia). This leads to a well-characterized cascade of systemic inflammation, additionally activating toll-like receptor 4 to induce sickness behavior. Considering the evidence, it is suggested that hangover frequency and severity may be predictors of the development of later alcohol-related diseases, meriting formal confirmation in prospective studies. In light of the mechanisms of alcohol-mediated inflammation, research into gut permeability and the gut microbiome may be an exciting future therapeutic avenue to prevent alcohol hangover and other alcohol-related diseases.

Haematococcus pluvialis polysaccharides improve microbiota-driven gut epithelial and vascular barrier and prevent alcoholic steatohepatitis development

Algal polysaccharides possess many biological activities and health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-coagulant, and immunomodulatory potential. Gut microbiota has emerged as one of the major contributor in mediating the health benefits of algal polysaccharides. In this study we showed that Haematococcus pluvialis polysaccharides (HPP) decreased serum transaminase levels and hepatic triglyceride content, alleviated inflammation and oxidative stress in the liver of chronic and binge ethanol diet-fed mice. Furthermore, HPP reduced endotoxemia, improved gut microbiota dysbiosis, inhibited epithelial barrier disruption and gut vascular barrier (GVB) damage in ethanol diet-fed mice. Co-housing vehicle-fed mice with HPP-fed mice alleviated ethanol-induced liver damage and endotoxemia. Moreover, fecal microbiota transplantation from HPP-fed mice into antibiotic-induced microbiota-depleted recipients also alleviated ethanol-induced liver injury and improved gut epithelial and vascular barrier. Our study demonstrated that HPP ameliorated ethanol-induced gut epithelial and vascular barrier dysfunction through alteration of gut microbiota, therefore preventing alcoholic liver damage.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ameliorates triptolide-induced liver injury through modulation of the bile acid-FXR axis

Triptolide (TP) is the principal bioactive compound of Tripterygium wilfordii with significant anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities. However, its severe hepatotoxicity greatly limits its clinical use. The underlying mechanism of TP-induced liver damage is still poorly understood. Here, we estimate the role of the gut microbiota in TP hepatotoxicity and investigate the bile acid metabolism mechanisms involved. The results of the antibiotic cocktail (ABX) and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiment demonstrate the involvement of intestinal flora in TP hepatotoxicity. Moreover, TP treatment significantly perturbed gut microbial composition and reduced the relative abundances of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG). Supplementation with LGG reversed TP-induced hepatotoxicity by increasing bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity and reducing the increased conjugated bile acids (BA). LGG supplementation upregulates hepatic FXR expression and inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation in TP-treated mice. In summary, this study found that gut microbiota is involved in TP hepatotoxicity. LGG supplementation protects mice against TP-induced liver damage. The underlying mechanism was associated with the gut microbiota-BA-FXR axis. Therefore, LGG holds the potential to prevent and treat TP hepatotoxicity in the clinic.

Gut-brain axis: A cutting-edge approach to target neurological disorders and potential synbiotic application

The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) represents a sophisticated communication network between the brain and the gut, involving immunological, endocrinological, and neural mediators. This bidirectional interaction is facilitated through the vagus nerve, sympathetic and parasympathetic fibers, and is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Evidence shows that alterations in gut microbiota composition, or dysbiosis, significantly impact neurological disorders (NDs) like anxiety, depression, autism, Parkinson's disease (PD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Dysbiosis can affect the central nervous system (CNS) via neuroinflammation and microglial activation, highlighting the importance of the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) in disease pathogenesis. The microbiota influences the immune system by modulating chemokines and cytokines, impacting neuronal health. Synbiotics have shown promise in treating NDs by enhancing cognitive function and reducing inflammation. The gut microbiota's role in producing neurotransmitters and neuroactive compounds, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), is critical for CNS homeostasis. Therapeutic interventions targeting the MGBA, including dietary modulation and synbiotic supplementation, offer potential benefits for managing neurodegenerative disorders. However, more in-depth clinical studies are necessary to fully understand and harness the therapeutic potential of the MGBA in neurological health and disease.

Cannabidiol (CBD) facilitates cocaine extinction and ameliorates cocaine-induced changes to the gut microbiome in male C57BL/6JArc mice

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a global health problem with no approved medications. One potential treatment target is the gut microbiome, but it is unknown if cocaine induces long-lasting effects on gut microbes. A novel therapeutic candidate for CUD, cannabidiol (CBD), can improve gut function in rodent models. It is possible that protective effects of CBD against cocaine use are mediated by improving gut health. We examined this question in this experiment. Cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) was conducted in adult male C57BL/6JArc mice. Mice were treated with vehicle or 20 mg/kg CBD prior to all cocaine CPP sessions (N = 11-13/group). Mice were tested drug free 1, 14 and 28 days after cessation of cocaine and CBD treatment. Fecal samples were collected prior to drug treatment and after each test session. Gut microbiome analyses were conducted using 16 s rRNA sequencing and correlated with behavioural parameters. We found a persistent preference for a cocaine-environment in mice, and long-lasting changes to gut microbe alpha diversity. Cocaine caused persistent changes to beta diversity which lasted for 4 weeks. CBD treatment reduced cocaine-environment preference during abstinence from cocaine and returned gut beta diversity measures to control levels. CBD treatment increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes phyla and Oscillospira genus, but decreased Bacteroidetes phyla and Bacteroides acidifaciens species. Preference score in cocaine-treated mice was positively correlated with abundance of Actinobacteria, whereas in mice treated with CBD and cocaine, the preference score was negatively correlated with Tenericutes abundance. Here we show that CBD facilitates cocaine extinction memory and reverses persistent cocaine-induced changes to gut microbe diversity. Furthermore, CBD increases the abundance of gut microbes which have anti-inflammatory properties. This suggests that CBD may act via the gut to reduce the memory of cocaine reward. Our data suggest that improving gut health and using CBD could limit cocaine abuse.

The Role of Gut Microbiome in Sleep Quality and Health: Dietary Strategies for Microbiota Support

Dietary components, including dietary fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, and polyphenols, along with meal timing and spacing, significantly affect the microbiota's capacity to produce various metabolites essential for quality sleep and overall health. This review explores the role of gut microbiota in regulating sleep through various metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan, serotonin, melatonin, and gamma-aminobutyric acid. A balanced diet rich in plant-based foods enhances the production of these sleep-regulating metabolites, potentially benefiting overall health. This review aims to investigate how dietary habits affect gut microbiota composition, the metabolites it produces, and the subsequent impact on sleep quality and related health conditions.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy differentially affects the fecal microbiota of dams and offspring

Microbiota imbalances are linked to inflammation and disease, as well as neurodevelopmental conditions where they may contribute to behavioral, physiological, and central nervous system dysfunction. By contrast, the role of the microbiota in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), the group of neurodevelopmental conditions that can occur following prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), has not received similar attention. Here we utilized a rodent model of alcohol consumption during pregnancy to characterize the impact of alcohol on the microbiota of dam-offspring dyads. Overall, bacterial diversity decreased in alcohol-consuming dams and community composition differed from that of controls in alcohol-consuming dams and their offspring. Bacterial taxa and predicted biochemical pathway composition were also altered with alcohol consumption/exposure; however, there was minimal overlap between the changes in dams and offspring. These findings illuminate the potential importance of the microbiota in the pathophysiology of FASD and support investigation into novel microbiota-based interventions.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus NKU FL1-8 Isolated from Infant Feces Ameliorates the Alcoholic Liver Damage by Regulating the Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Barrier in C57BL/6J Mice

Alcoholic liver damage is caused by long-term or heavy drinking, and it may further progress into alcoholic liver diseases (ALD). Probiotic supplements have been suggested for the prevention or improvement of liver damage. This study was designed to consider the ameliorative effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus NKU FL1-8 isolated from infant feces against alcoholic liver damage. The mice were gavaged with a 50% ethanol solution and treated with 109 CFU of L. rhamnosus NKU FL1-8 suspension. The factors for liver function, oxidative stress, inflammation, gut microbiota composition, and intestinal barrier integrity were measured. The results showed that L. rhamnosus NKU FL1-8 could decrease the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to 61% and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) to 50% compared with ethanol given by gavage. It could inhibit the expression level of malondialdehyde (MDA), increase superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) to relieve oxidative stress, and down-regulate the cytokines to decrease hepatic inflammation. After treatment, the level of triglycerides was reduced, and the expression levels of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α) pathway were up-regulated. Additionally, the 16S rRNA sequencing analysis showed that L. rhamnosus NKU FL1-8 increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Ruminococcaceae, etc. At the same time, L. rhamnosus NKU FL1-8 could significantly reduce lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and enhance intestinal tight junction proteins. These results demonstrated that L. rhamnosus NKU FL1-8 could reduce the level of oxidative stress, fat accumulation, and liver inflammation caused by alcohol in the host. The underlying mechanism could be that L. rhamnosus NKU FL1-8 inhibits LPS by regulating the gut microbiota and repairing the intestinal barrier. Thereby, these findings support L. rhamnosus NKU FL1-8 as a potential functional food for the relief of ALD.

Maslinic acid alleviates alcoholic liver injury in mice and regulates intestinal microbiota via the gut-liver axis

BACKGROUND

Maslinic acid (MA), a pentacyclic triterpene acid, is widely distributed in natural plants and mainly found in the fruit and leaves of olives and hawthorn. MA has been reported as having many health-promoting functions, such as anticancer, anti-inflammation and neuroprotective activities. According to previous study, hawthorn extract has certain hepatoprotective effects. However, the detailed mechanism is still unclear, especially the effect of MA on gut microbiota.

RESULTS

Our study reveals that MA effectively counteracts alcohol-induced liver injury and oxidative stress. It mitigates alcohol-induced intestinal barrier damage, reverses increased permeability and reduces translocation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This prevents LPS/Toll-like receptor 4 activation, leading to decreased TNF-α and IL-1β production. Furthermore, MA rebalances gut microbiota by reversing harmful bacterial abundance and enhancing beneficial bacteria post-alcohol consumption.

CONCLUSION

MA, through modulation of gut microbiota, alleviates alcohol-induced liver injury via the gut-liver axis. These findings support the potential use of MA as a functional food ingredient for preventing or treating alcoholic liver disease. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Gut-liver axis: Potential mechanisms of action of food-derived extracellular vesicles

Food-derived extracellular vesicles (FEVs) are nanoscale membrane vesicles obtained from dietary materials such as breast milk, plants and probiotics. Distinct from other EVs, FEVs can survive the harsh degrading conditions in the gastrointestinal tract and reach the intestines. This unique feature allows FEVs to be promising prebiotics in health and oral nanomedicine for gut disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Interestingly, therapeutic effects of FEVs have recently also been observed in non-gastrointestinal diseases. However, the mechanisms remain unclear or even mysterious. It is speculated that orally administered FEVs could enter the bloodstream, reach remote organs, and thus exert therapeutic effects therein. However, emerging evidence suggests that the amount of FEVs reaching organs beyond the gastrointestinal tract is marginal and may be insufficient to account for the significant therapeutic effects achieved regarding diseases involving remote organs such as the liver. Thus, we herein propose that FEVs primarily act locally in the intestine by modulating intestinal microenvironments such as barrier integrity and microbiota, thereby eliciting therapeutic impact remotely on the liver in non-gastrointestinal diseases via the gut-liver axis. Likewise, drugs delivered to the gastrointestinal system through FEVs may act via the gut-liver axis. As the liver is the main metabolic hub, the intestinal microenvironment may be implicated in other metabolic diseases. In fact, many patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease suffer from a leaky gut and dysbiosis. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent progress in FEVs and discuss their biomedical applications as therapeutic agents and drug delivery systems, highlighting the pivotal role of the gut-liver axis in the mechanisms of action of FEVs for the treatment of gut disorders and metabolic diseases.

A gut (microbiome) feeling about addiction: Interactions with stress and social systems

In recent years, an increasing attention has given to the intricate and diverse connection of microorganisms residing in our gut and their impact on brain health and central nervous system disease. There has been a shift in mindset to understand that drug addiction is not merely a condition that affects the brain, it is now being recognized as a disorder that also involves external factors such as the intestinal microbiota, which could influence vulnerability and the development of addictive behaviors. Furthermore, stress and social interactions, which are closely linked to the intestinal microbiota, are powerful modulators of addiction. This review delves into the mechanisms through which the microbiota-stress-immune axis may shape drug addiction and social behaviors. This work integrates preclinical and clinical evidence that demonstrate the bidirectional communication between stress, social behaviors, substance use disorders and the gut microbiota, suggesting that gut microbes might modulate social stress having a significance in drug addiction.

The gut-liver axis in fatty liver disease: role played by natural products

Fatty liver disease, a condition characterized by fatty degeneration of the liver, mainly classified as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD), has become a leading cause of cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. The gut-liver axis is the bidirectional relationship between the gut and its microbiota and its liver. The liver can communicate with the gut through the bile ducts, while the portal vein transports the products of the gut flora to the liver. The intestinal flora and its metabolites directly and indirectly regulate hepatic gene expression, leading to an imbalance in the gut-liver axis and thus contributing to the development of liver disease. Utilizing natural products for the prevention and treatment of various metabolic diseases is a prevalent practice, and it is anticipated to represent the forthcoming trend in the development of drugs for combating NAFLD/ALD. This paper discusses the mechanism of the enterohepatic axis in fatty liver, summarizes the important role of plant metabolites in natural products in fatty liver treatment by regulating the enterohepatic axis, and provides a theoretical basis for the subsequent development of new drugs and clinical research.

Polysaccharides from Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. Leaves Alleviate Acute Alcoholic Liver Injury by Modulating the Microbiota-Gut-Liver Axis in Mice

The interplay among gut microbiota, intestines, and liver is crucial in preventing acute alcoholic liver injury. In this study, the hepatoprotective potential of polysaccharides from Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. leaves (EULP) on acute alcoholic liver injury in Kunming male mice was investigated. The structural features suggested that the EULP appeared as a heterogeneous mixture of polysaccharides with a molecular weight of 186132 Da. A 14-day pretreatment of EULP ameliorated acute alcoholic-induced hepatic inflam mation (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10), oxidative stress (GSH, SOD, and T-AOC), and liver damage (ALT and AST) via enhancing intestinal barrier (Occludin, Claudin 1, and ZO-1) and modulating microbiome, which subsequently inhibiting endotoxemia and balancing the homeostasis of the gut-liver axis. EULP restored the composition of intestinal flora with an increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae and a decrease in Lachnospiraceae and Verrucomicrobiaceae. Notably, prolonged EULP pretreatment (14 days) but no single gavage of EULP achieved excellent hepatoprotection. These findings endorsed the potential of EULP as a functional food for mitigating acute alcoholic-induce d liver damage, attributed to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and prebiotic properties facilitated by the microbiota-gut-liver axis.

The combination of Brassica rapa L. polysaccharides and cisplatin enhances the anti liver cancer effect and improves intestinal microbiota and metabolic disorders

Polysaccharides are commonly used as low-toxicity anticancer active substances to enhance the chemotherapeutic effect of cisplatin and reduce toxicity. Brassica rapa L. polysaccharides have been shown to have hepatoprotective effects; however, their anticancer effects in combination with cisplatin and their mechanisms have not been reported. An acidic polysaccharide from Brassica rapa L. (BRCPe) using hydroalcohol precipitation-assisted sonication was Characterized. The effects of BRCPe combined with cisplatin treatment on tumor growth in hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model were investigated. The impact of the combined treatment on the composition of intestinal flora, levels of short-chain fatty acids and endogenous metabolites in tumor mice were analyzed based on macrogenomic and metabolomic data Our results showed that the BRCPe combined with low-dose Cisplatin group showed better inhibitory activity against hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth in terms of tumor volume, tumor weight, and tumor suppression rate compared with the BRCPe and Cisplation alone group, and reduced the side effects of cisplatin-induced body weight loss, immune deficiency, and liver injury. Furthermore, BRCPe combined with cisplatin was found to induce apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cell through the activation of the caspase cascade reaction. In addition, the intervention of BRCPe were observed to modulate the composition, structure and functional structure of intestinal flora affected by cisplatin. Notably, Lachnospiraceae bacteria, Lactobacillus murinus, Muribaculaceae, and Clostridiales bacteria were identified as significant contributors to microbial species involved in metabolic pathways. Moreover, BRCPe effectively regulate the metabolic disorders in cisplatin-induced hepatocellular carcinoma mice. In conclusion, BRCPe could potentially function as an adjuvant or dietary supplement to augment the effectiveness of cisplatin chemotherapy through the preservation of a more efficient intestinal microenvironmental homeostasis.

Characteristics of microbiome-derived metabolomics according to the progression of alcoholic liver disease

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The prevalence and severity of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) are increasing. The incidence of alcohol-related cirrhosis has risen up to 2.5%. This study aimed to identify novel metabolite mechanisms involved in the development of ALD in patients. The use of gut microbiome-derived metabolites is increasing in targeted therapies. Identifying metabolic compounds is challenging due to the complex patterns that have long-term effects on ALD. We investigated the specific metabolite signatures in ALD patients.

METHODS

This study included 247 patients (heathy control, HC: n = 62, alcoholic fatty liver, AFL; n = 25, alcoholic hepatitis, AH; n = 80, and alcoholic cirrhosis, AC, n = 80) identified, and stool samples were collected. 16S rRNA sequencing and metabolomics were performed with MiSeq sequencer and liquid chromatography coupled to time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS), respectively. The untargeted metabolites in AFL, AH, and AC samples were evaluated by multivariate statistical analysis and metabolic pathotypic expression. Metabolic network classifiers were used to predict the pathway expression of the AFL, AH, and AC stages.

RESULTS

The relative abundance of Proteobacteria was increased and the abundance of Bacteroides was decreased in ALD samples (p = 0.001) compared with that in HC samples. Fusobacteria levels were higher in AH samples (p = 0.0001) than in HC samples. Untargeted metabolomics was applied to quantitatively screen 103 metabolites from each stool sample. Indole-3-propionic acid levels are significantly lower in AH and AC (vs. HC, p = 0.001). Indole-3-lactic acid (ILA: p = 0.04) levels were increased in AC samples. AC group showed an increase in indole-3-lactic acid (vs. HC, p = 0.040) level. Compared with that in HC samples, the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs: acetic acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, iso-butyric acid, and iso-valeric acid) and bile acids (lithocholic acids) were significantly decreased in AC. The pathways of linoleic acid metabolism, indole compounds, histidine metabolism, fatty acid degradation, and glutamate metabolism were closely associated with ALD metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified that microbial metabolic dysbiosis is associated with ALD-related metabolic dysfunction. The SCFAs, bile acids, and indole compounds were depleted during ALD progression.

CLINICAL TRIAL

Clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT04339725.

Gut microbiome in alcohol use disorder: Implications for health outcomes and therapeutic strategies-a literature review

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) represents a major public health issue which affects millions of people globally and consist a chronic relapsing condition associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and has emerged as a significant contributor to the pathophysiology of various psychiatric disorders. Recent evidence suggests that the gut microbiome is intimately linked to the development and progression of AUD, with alcohol consumption directly impacting its composition and function. This review article aims to explore the intricate relationship between the gut microbiome and AUD, focusing on the implications for mental health outcomes and potential therapeutic strategies. We discuss the bidirectional communication between the gut microbiome and the brain, highlighting the role of microbiota-derived metabolites in neuroinflammation, neurotransmission, and mood regulation. Furthermore, we examine the influence of AUD-related factors, such as alcohol-induced gut dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability, on mental health outcomes. Finally, we explore emerging therapeutic avenues targeting the gut microbiome in the management of AUD, including prebiotics, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Understanding the complex interplay between the gut microbiome and AUD holds promise for developing novel interventions that could improve mental health outcomes in individuals with AUD.

Alcohol-induced gut microbiome dysbiosis enhances the colonization of Klebsiella pneumoniae on the mouse intestinal tract

Chronic alcohol consumption, an important risk factor for diseases and deaths, can cause intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and increase the infection of some opportunistic pathogens. However, the current studies on the effects of alcohol-induced intestinal microbiota dysbiosis on gut colonization of Klebsiella pneumoniae are still scarce. In the present study, we established a binge-on-chronic alcohol model in mice to identify the characteristics of alcohol-induced intestinal microbiome and metabolite dysbiosis using multi-omics and explored the effects and potential mechanisms of these dysbioses on the intestinal colonization of K. pneumoniae. The results show that chronic alcohol consumption alters the diversity and composition of gut microbiota (including bacteria and fungi), decreases the complexity of the interaction between intestinal bacteria and fungi, disturbs the gut metabolites, and promotes the colonization of K. pneumoniae on the gut of mice. The relevance analyses find that alcohol-induced gut microbiome dysbiosis has a strong correlation with the alteration of secondary bile acids. In vitro results suggest that the high concentration of lithocholic acid, a secondary bile acid, could significantly inhibit the proliferation of K. pneumoniae, and the adhesion of K. pneumoniae to Caco-2 cells. Our results indicate that alcohol-induced microbiome dysbiosis contributes to decreased levels of secondary bile acids, which was one of the main reasons affecting the colonization of K. pneumoniae in mice's intestines. Some secondary bile acids (e.g., lithocholic acid) might be a potential drug to prevent the colonization and spread of K. pneumoniae.IMPORTANCEAlcohol is one of the most commonly misused substances in our lives. However, long-term heavy drinking will increase the colonization of some opportunistic pathogens (e.g., Klebsiella pneumoniae) in the body. Here, we revealed that binge-on-chronic alcohol consumption disrupted the balance between gut bacteria and fungi, induced the gut microbiome and metabolites dysbiosis, and promoted the colonization of K. pneumoniae in the intestine of mice. In particular, alcohol-taking disrupted intestinal bile acid metabolism and reduced the lithocholic acid concentration. However, a high concentration of lithocholic acid can protect against intestinal colonization of K. pneumoniae by inhabiting the bacterial growth and adhesion to the host cell. Hence, regulating the balance of gut microbiota and intestinal bile acid metabolism may be a potential strategy for reducing the risk of K. pneumoniae infection and spread.

Clinical efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a liver damage disease caused by long-term heavy drinking. Currently, there is no targeted pharmaceutical intervention available for the treatment of this disease. To address this, this paper evaluates the efficacy and safety of probiotic preparation in treating ALD through conducting a meta-analysis, and provides a valuable insight for clinical decision-making.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted across databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, and CBM from the inception dates to October 15, 2023, to identify clinical randomized controlled trials on probiotic preparations in the treatment of ALD. After the literature underwent screening, data extraction, and quality assessment, RevMan 5.3 and Stata 14.2 were employed for data analysis and processing.

Results

A total of 9 randomized controlled trials fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The results of the meta-analysis showed that probiotic preparation could significantly improve the liver function of patients with alcoholic liver disease compared with the control group. Probiotic intervention led to a significant reduction in the levels of alanine aminotransferase (MD=-13.36,95%CI:-15.80,-10.91;P<0.00001),aspartate aminotransferase (MD=-16.99,95%CI:-20.38,-13.59;P<0.00001),γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (MD=-18.79,95% CI:-28.23,-9.34; P<0.0001). Concurrently, the level of serum albumin (MD=0.19,95% CI:0.02,0.36;P=0.03) was increased. Furthermore, probiotic intervention could also modulate the composition of intestinal flora in patients with alcoholic liver disease, leading to an augmentation in Bifidobacteria and a reduction in Escherichia coli. However, in patients with alcoholic liver disease, probiotic intervention showed no significant effects on total bilirubin (MD=-0.01,95% CI:-0.17,0.15;P=0.91), tumor necrosis factor-α (MD=0.03,95% CI:-0.86,0.92;P=0.94) and interleukin-6 (MD=-5.3,95% CI:-16.04,5.45;P=0.33).

Conclusion

The meta-analysis indicates that probiotics can improve liver function in alcoholic liver disease, reduce inflammatory responses, regulate intestinal flora, which have potential value in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42023472527.

Clinical and Preclinical Evidence for Gut Microbiome Mechanisms in Substance Use Disorders

Substance use disorders are a set of recalcitrant neuropsychiatric conditions that cause tremendous morbidity and mortality and are among the leading causes of loss of disability-adjusted life years worldwide. While each specific substance use disorder is driven by problematic use of a different substance, they all share a similar pattern of escalating and out-of-control substance use, continued use despite negative consequences, and a remitting/relapsing pattern over time. Despite significant advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of these conditions, current treatment options remain few and are ineffective for too many individuals. In recent years, there has been a rapidly growing body of literature demonstrating that the resident population of microbes in the gastrointestinal tract, collectively called the gut microbiome, plays an important role in modulating brain and behavior in preclinical and clinical studies of psychiatric disease. While these findings have not yet been translated into clinical practice, this remains an important and exciting avenue for translational research. In this review, we highlight the current state of microbiome-brain research within the substance use field with a focus on both clinical and preclinical studies. We also discuss potential neurobiological mechanisms underlying microbiome effects on models of substance use disorder and propose future directions to bring these findings from bench to bedside.

Detecting prokaryote-specific gene and other bacterial signatures in thrombi from patients with acute ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Microbial infection has been associated with thrombogenesis. This study aimed to detect bacterium-specific genes and other signatures in thrombi from patients with acute ischemic stroke and to relate these signatures to clinical characteristics.

METHODS

Blood samples were collected before thrombectomy procedures, and thrombus samples were obtained during the procedure. Identification and classification of bacteria in the samples were accomplished using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. Bacterium-specific structures were observed with transmission electron microscopy. Bacterium-specific biomarkers were detected through immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTS

16 S rRNA gene was detected in 32.1% of the thrombus samples from 81 patients. Bacillus (0.04% vs. 0.00046%, p = 0.003), Parabacteroides (0.20% vs. 0.09%, p = 0.029), Prevotella (1.57% vs. 0.38%, p = 0.010), Streptococcus (1.53% vs. 0.29%, p = 0.001), Romboutsia (0.18% vs. 0.0070%, p = 0.029), Corynebacterium (1.61% vs. 1.26%, p = 0.026) and Roseburia (0.53% vs. 0.05%, p = 0.005) exhibited significantly higher abundance in thrombi compared to arterial blood. Bacteria-like structures were observed in 22 (27.1%), while whole bacteria-like structures were observed in 7 (8.6%) thrombi under transmission electron microscopy. Immunohistochemical staining detected bacterium-specific monocyte/macrophage markers in 51 (63.0%) out of 81 thrombi. Logistic regression analysis indicated that alcohol consumption was associated with a higher bacteria burden in thrombi (odds ratio = 3.19; 95% CI, 1.10-9.27; p = 0.033).

CONCLUSION

Bacterial signatures usually found in the oral cavity and digestive tract were detected in thrombi from patients with ischemic stroke. This suggests a potential involvement of bacterial infection in the development of thrombosis. Long-term alcohol consumption may potentially enhance this possibility.

The adolescent and young adult microbiome and its association with substance use: a scoping review

AIMS

The microbiome is a critical factor in health throughout human development. The aims of this scoping review are to (i) elucidate the differences between the youth (post-natal day 21-65 for rodents, 2-7 years for non-human primates, and 10-25 years for humans) microbiome with other life stages and (ii) identify youth-specific microbial changes associated with substance use.

METHODS

Peer-reviewed studies published up to May 2023 were identified in PubMed and SCOPUS and included gut and oral microbiome studies from rodents, non-human primates, and humans (N = 1733). Twenty-six articles were determined eligible based on inclusion criteria (aim 1: n = 19, aim 2: n = 7).

RESULTS

The adolescent and young adult oral and gut microbiomes are distinct compared to other life stages, within both non-human and human models. While there is limited research in this area, the microbiome appears to be vulnerable to substance use exposure earlier in life, including substances commonly initiated and escalated during adolescence and young adulthood (i.e. alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco).

CONCLUSIONS

Studies across the lifespan indicate that adolescence and young adulthood are distinct periods of development, where the microbiome is sensitive to exposures, including substance use. There is a need for more studies focused on the adolescent and young adult microbiome and substance use, as well as focused on the oral microbiome during this developmental period. Understanding the gut and oral microbiome during adolescence and young adulthood may provide insight into the pathophysiology of substance use disorders.

Ethanol-induced changes to the gut microbiome compromise the intestinal homeostasis: a review

The intestine is the largest organ in terms of surface area in the human body. It is responsible not only for absorbing nutrients but also for protection against the external world. The gut microbiota is essential in maintaining a properly functioning intestinal barrier, primarily through producing its metabolites: short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, and tryptophan derivatives. Ethanol overconsumption poses a significant threat to intestinal health. Not only does it damage the intestinal epithelium, but, maybe foremostly, it changes the gut microbiome. Those ethanol-driven changes shift its metabolome, depriving the host of the protective effect the physiological gut microbiota has. This literature review discusses the impact of ethanol consumption on the gut, the gut microbiota, and its metabolome, providing a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms through which ethanol disrupts intestinal homeostasis and discussing potential avenues for new therapeutic intervention.

Chronic binge drinking-induced susceptibility to colonic inflammation is microbiome-dependent

Alterations in intestinal permeability and the gut microbiome caused by alcohol abuse are associated with alcoholic liver disease and with worsening of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) symptoms. To resolve the direct effects of chronic ethanol consumption on the colon and its microbiome in the absence of acute or chronic alcohol-induced liver disease, we developed a mouse model of chronic binge drinking that uncovers how alcohol may enhance susceptibility to colitis via the microbiota. Employing daily ethanol gavage, we recapitulate key features of binge ethanol consumption. We found that binge ethanol drinking worsens intestinal infection, colonic injury and inflammation, and this effect persists beyond the drinking period. Using gnotobiotics, we showed that alcohol-driven susceptibility to colitis is microbiota-dependent and transferable to ethanol-naïve mice by microbiome transplantation. Allobaculum spp. expanded in binge drinking mice, and administration of Allobaculum fili was sufficient to enhance colitis in non-drinking mice. Our study provides a model to study binge drinking-microbiota interactions and their effects on host disease and reinforces the pathogenic function of Allobaculum spp. as colitogenic bacteria. Our findings illustrate how chronic binge drinking-induced alterations of the microbiome may affect susceptibility to IBD onset or flares.

Intestinal microbiome dysbiosis in alcohol-dependent patients and its effect on rat behaviors

IMPORTANCE

Intestinal microbiome dysbiosis is associated with psychiatric disease through the "microbiota-gut-brain" axis. Here, we revealed that there was obvious intestinal microbiome (including bacterial and fungal) dysbiosis in alcohol-dependent patients. Alcohol consumption seriously disturbs the gut equilibrium between bacteria and fungi, reduces the interactions among bacterial-fungal trans-kingdom, and increases intestinal permeability. Gut microbiota should be considered as a whole to study the development of alcohol dependence. The gut microbiome of alcohol-dependent patients increased the anxiety- and depression-like behavior in rats. The gut microbiota dysbiosis may promote the development of alcohol dependence by regulating the endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) and related receptors. Hence, regulating the balance of gut microbiota and the endogenous CCK may be a potential strategy for reducing the risk of relapse in alcohol addiction patients.

One-month assessment of Th-cell axis related inflammatory cytokines, IL-17 and IL-22 and their role in alcohol-associated liver disease

Introduction

Changes in the expression of cyto- and chemokines due to alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) have been reported to be both protective and pathogenic. This study examined plasma levels of two key cytokines, Il-17 and Il-22, which construct the proinflammatory vs. anti-inflammatory axes across the spectrum of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and ALD including alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) to determine the underlying status of the inflammation.

Methods

Forty-two males and females aged 25-63 yrs. were grouped as healthy controls (HV[n=8]), AUD with no liver injury (AUDNLI [n=8]), AUD with liver injury (AUDLI [n=8]), non-severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (NSAH [n=9]), and severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (SAH [n=9]). Demographic, drinking, and clinical data were collected. Blood samples were collected at baseline (BL, all subjects) and during week 4 (W4, only patients) for IL-17 and IL-22; and statistically analyzed.

Results

IL-17 was highly elevated in the SAH group both at BL and post-SOC. LTDH and BL IL-22 in non-severe AH patients were associated significantly. LTDH significantly predicted W4 IL-22 levels, positively (increasing) in NSAH and inversely (lowering) in SAH patients. BL and W4 IL-22 levels were significantly higher (4-fold, p≤0.001) in all AH patients compared to all AUD patients (AUROC=0.988, p≤0.001). IL-22 showed significant affinity with AST, AST: ALT ratio, total bilirubin, INR, and PT both at BL and W4. IL-22 was inversely associated with IL-1β; and positively with TNF-α and IL-8 both at BL, and W4. BL IL-17 showed a positive correlation with MELD (p=0.017) in all AH patients. In SAH, > 2-fold W4 IL-17 level compared to BL showed significant within subjects' effects, p=0.006. In AUD patients without AH, the drop in IL-17 at W4 vs. BL showed a significant within subjects' effect, p=0.031.

Discussion

Drinking chronicity predicted opposite effects in IL-22 levels in NSAH (antiinflammatory) and SAH (pro-inflammatory) patients at post-SOC. BL IL-22 levels differentiated AH patients robustly from the AUD patients (with or without liver injury); and showed corresponding increases stepwise with the stages of ALD. IL-22 was closely associated with progression and injury markers of the liver; and response to the cytokines of pro-inflammatory nature. Pro-inflammatory indicator of IL-17 cell axis, IL-17 showed a strong positive association with MELD, a severity indicator of AH.

The Protective Effect of Auricularia cornea var. Li. Polysaccharide on Alcoholic Liver Disease and Its Effect on Intestinal Microbiota

This study's objective was to examine the protective effect and mechanism of a novel polysaccharide (AYP) from Auricularia cornea var. Li. on alcoholic liver disease in mice. AYP was extracted from the fruiting bodies of Auricularia cornea var. Li. by enzymatic extraction and purified by DEAE-52 and Sephacryl S-400. Structural features were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography, ion exchange chromatography and Fourier-transform infrared analysis. Additionally, alcoholic liver disease (ALD) mice were established to explore the hepatoprotective activity of AYP (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/d). Here, our results showed that AYP presented high purity with a molecular weight of 4.64 × 105 Da. AYP was composed of galacturonic acid, galactose, glucose, arabinose, mannose, xylose, rhamnose, ribos, glucuronic acid and fucose (molar ratio: 39.5:32.9:23.6:18.3:6.5:5.8:5.8:3.3:2:1.1). Notably, AYP remarkably reduced liver function impairment (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC)), nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) of the liver and enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione (gGSH)) in mice with ALD. Meanwhile, the serum level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were reduced in ALD mice treated by AYP. Furthermore, the AYPH group was the most effective and was therefore chosen to further investigate its effect on the intestinal microbiota (bacteria and fungi) of ALD mice. Based on 16s rRNA and ITS-1 sequencing data, AYP influenced the homeostasis of intestinal microbiota to mitigate the damage of ALD mice, possibly by raising the abundance of favorable microbiota (Muribaculaceae, Lachnospiraceae and Kazachstania) and diminishing the abundance of detrimental microbiota (Lactobacillus, Mortierella and Candida). This discovery opens new possibilities for investigating physiological activity in A. cornea var. Li. and provides theoretical references for natural liver-protecting medication research.

Research protocol of the efficacy of probiotics for the treatment of alcohol use disorder among adult males: A comparison with placebo and acceptance and commitment therapy in a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Primarily, this study compares the efficacy of probiotic and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in alleviating the severity of alcohol craving and alcohol use disorder (AUD) among patients who had undergo two weeks of in-patient detoxification. Secondarily, this study compares the efficacy of probiotic and ACT in mitigating the severity of comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms; decreasing serum level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α); changing the event-related potential in electroencephalogram (EEG) and restoring microbiota flora in the gut of AUD patients.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Initially, during Phase I of the study, the serum level of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α; ERP changes in the EEG and fecal microbiota content will be compared between 120 AUD patients and 120 healthy controls. Subsequently in Phase II of the study, 120 AUD patients will be randomized by stratified permuted block randomization into the probiotic, ACT and placebo groups in a 1:1:1 ratio. Participants in the probiotic and placebo groups will be administered one sachet per day of Lactobacillus spp. probiotic and placebo, respectively for 12 weeks. While those in the ACT group will receive one session per week of ACT for 8 weeks. Outcome measures will be administered at four timepoints, such as t0 = baseline assessment prior to intervention, t1 = 8 weeks after intervention began, t2 = 12 weeks after intervention and t3 = 24 weeks after intervention. Primary outcomes are the degrees of alcohol craving, alcohol withdrawal during abstinence and AUD. Secondary outcomes to be assessed are the severity of co-morbid depression and anxiety symptoms; the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α; changes in ERP and fecal microbiota content.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05830708 (ClinicalTrials.gov). Registered on April 25, 2023.

Paraprobiotics: definition, manufacturing methods, and functionality

Probiotics are living microorganisms that are beneficial to the host, enhancing the immune response by promoting antibody production, regulating cytokine secretion, and stimulating T cells. However, probiotics have limitations in that they require viability control and have a short shelf life. Recently, the use of paraprobiotics has gained attention. These include dead bacterial cells, bacterial fractions, and cell lysate that have health benefits and are stable and safe for use. Paraprobiotics comprise molecules of bacterial cell wall compounds, such as peptidoglycans, teichoic acids, polysaccharides, and cell surface proteins. Paraprobiotics are manufactured by a diverse range of techniques, including thermal treatments, high pressure, ultraviolet rays, sonication, ionizing radiation, and pH modification. Their beneficial health effects include immunomodulatory, intestinal balancing, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities. Therefore, this review summarizes and discusses the manufacturing methods and bioavailability of paraprobiotics and suggests their potential health advantages.

Molecular mechanisms of alcohol's effects on the human body: A review and update

Alcohol consumption has been linked to numerous negative health outcomes although it has some beneficial effects on moderate dosages, the most severe of which being alcohol-induced hepatitis. The number of people dying from this liver illness has been shown to climb steadily over time, and its prevalence has been increasing. Researchers have found that alcohol consumption primarily affects the brain, leading to a wide range of neurological and psychological diseases. High-alcohol-consumption addicts not only experienced seizures, but also ataxia, aggression, social anxiety, and variceal hemorrhage that ultimately resulted in death, ascites, and schizophrenia. Drugs treating this liver condition are limited and can cause serious side effects like depression. Serine-threonine kinases, cAMP protein kinases, protein kinase C, ERK, RACK 1, Homer 2, and more have all been observed to have their signaling pathways disrupted by alcohol, and alcohol has also been linked to epigenetic changes. In addition, alcohol consumption induces dysbiosis by changing the composition of the microbiome found in the gastrointestinal tract. Although more studies are needed, those that have been done suggest that probiotics aid in keeping the various microbiota concentrations stable. It has been argued that reducing one's alcohol intake may seem less harmful because excessive drinking is a lifestyle disorder.

Astragaloside IV ameliorate acute alcohol-induced liver injury in mice via modulating gut microbiota and regulating NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway

PURPOSE

Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is a natural saponin substance extracted from the plant Radix Astragali with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and liver-protecting effects. This study was to evaluate the liver protection effect of AS-IV on mice after acute alcohol stimulation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mice were orally administrated with AS-IV (50, 150, and 500 mg/kg, respectively), and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC, 50 mg/kg) daily for 7 days, before giving five alcohol-intragastric injections.

RESULTS

Results suggested that the levels of serum ALT and AST, liver SOD, GSH-PX, 4-HNE, and MDA, serum and liver TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), diamine oxidase (DAO) and Myeloperoxidase (MPO), the mRNA and protein expression of hepatic NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 were significantly decreased in AS-IV-treated mice compared with the model group. Moreover, the effect of AS-IV on histopathology of liver tissue confirmed its protective function. Furthermore, AS-IV ameliorated the gut microbiota imbalance and adjusted the abundance of the following dysfunctional bacteria closer to the control group: Butyricicoccus, Turicibacter, Akkermansia, Anaerotruncus, and Mucispirillum. A strong correlation between intestinal bacteria and potential biomarkers was found.

CONCLUSION

Together, our findings indicated that AS-IV exert the hepatoprotective effect by modulating the gut microbiota imbalance and regulating NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway.

Alcohol consumption and oral microbiome composition in a sample of healthy young adults

The oral microbiomes of 24 healthy adults (50% female; mean age = 24.3) were examined using 16 s ribosomal RNA sequencing and compared between light and heavy drinkers. Beta diversity was related at the trend level to drinking group, and light drinkers had significantly higher abundances of key oral taxa such as Lactobacillales. These preliminary results may offer insight into early effects of heavy drinking on the composition of the oral microbiome.

Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum BL21 ameliorates alcoholic liver disease in mice through enhancement of the hepatic antioxidant capacity and modulation of the gut microbiota

BACKGROUND

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a chronic liver injury caused by excessive alcohol consumption, could be impacted by gut-liver axis dysfunction. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the development and progression of ALD. Given the role of gut-liver axis dysfunction in ALD, strategies targeting gut microbiota modulation have gained interest for therapeutic interventions. Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum BL21 has shown promise in alleviating gut microbiota disturbances and metabolic regulation in high-fat diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus models. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of BL21 on ALD mice and explore the potential mechanism by which the gut microbiota mediates the amelioration of ALD by BL21.

METHODS

A total of 30 mice were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 10 mice/group): a healthy control (CTL) group, an ALD group, and a BL21 group. Each group was fed a Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet with (ALD and BL21) or without alcohol (CTL). The intervention period lasted 6 weeks, after which the effects of BL21 intervention (intragastric administration of 1 billion CFU of BL21 daily) on serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, hepatic oxidative stress, serum inflammatory cytokine levels, and gut microbiota composition in ALD mice were investigated.

RESULTS

Dietary BL21 reduced the ethanol-induced abnormal elevation of serum AST and ALT levels in ALD mice (P < 0.001 for both). BL21 treatment significantly attenuated alcohol-induced hepatic oxidative stress by decreasing malondialdehyde concentration and increasing superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione concentrations in the livers of ALD mice. In addition, the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and IL-6 were significantly lower (P < 0.001 for both), while that of IL-10 was significantly higher (P < 0.05), in the BL21 group than in the ALD group. Intestinal microbiota analysis showed an increased relative abundance of Escherichia/Shigella, Enterococcus, and Alistipes in the ALD group compared with the CTL group. BL21 intervention increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia compared with the ALD group.

CONCLUSION

Dietary BL21 ameliorates ALD via enhancement of the hepatic antioxidant capacity and modulation of the gut microbiota and may therefore be a promising strategy to prevent or treat ALD.

New insights into the molecular basis of alcohol abstinence and relapse in alcohol-associated liver disease

Alcohol use disorder remains a significant public health concern, affecting around 5% of adults worldwide. Novel pathways of damage have been described during the last years, providing insight into the mechanism of injury due to alcohol misuse beyond the direct effect of ethanol byproducts on the liver parenchyma and neurobehavioral mechanisms. Thus, the gut-liver-brain axis and immune system involvement could be therapeutic targets for alcohol use disorder. In particular, changes in gut microbiota composition and function, and bile acid homeostasis, have been shown with alcohol consumption and cessation. Alcohol can also directly disrupt intestinal and blood-brain barriers. Activation of the immune system can be triggered by intestinal barrier dysfunction and translocation of bacteria, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (such as lipopolysaccharide), cytokines, and damage-associated molecular patterns. These factors, in turn, promote liver and brain inflammation and the progression of liver fibrosis. Other involved mechanisms include oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, and the release of extracellular vesicles and miRNA from hepatocytes. Potential therapeutic targets include gut microbiota (probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation), neuroinflammatory pathways, as well as neuroendocrine pathways, for example, the ghrelin system (ghrelin receptor blockade), incretin mimetics (glucagon-like peptide-1 analogs), and the mineralocorticoid receptor system (spironolactone). In addition, support with psychological and behavioral treatments is essential to address the multiple dimensions of alcohol use disorder. In the future, a personalized approach considering these novel targets can contribute to significantly decreasing the alcohol-associated burden of disease.

Akkermansia muciniphila Ameliorates Alcoholic Liver Disease in Experimental Mice by Regulating Serum Metabolism and Improving Gut Dysbiosis

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) represents a significant global health concern, yet the available treatment options remain limited. Numerous studies have shown that gut microbiota is a critical target for the treatment of ALD. Additionally, there is increasing evidence that host metabolism also plays a crucial role in the development of ALD. Akkermansia muciniphila has been demonstrated to ameliorate experimental ALD through its modulatory effects on the intestinal vascular barrier, enhancement of mucus layer thickness, and promotion of intestinal tight junction proteins. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of studies investigating the impact of A. muciniphila on host metabolism and gut microbiota. Here, C57BL/6 mice were utilized to establish a modified NIAAA model in order to investigate the impact of the oral administration of A. muciniphila during the development of ALD. Furthermore, we employed targeted metabolomics to analyze the serum metabolomic profiles of the mice and 2bRAD-M sequencing to comprehensively examine the underlying mechanisms of the efficacy of A. muciniphila on ALD. Our results illustrated that the oral administration of A. muciniphila alleviated alcohol-induced liver injury in conjunction with encouraged serum levels of ornithine and diminished the elevation of oxalic acid levels induced by alcohol intake. In addition, A. muciniphila also inhibited the proliferation of harmful bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Helicobacter hepaticus, induced by alcohol consumption while promoting the growth of butyrate-producing and commensal bacteria, including Paramuribaculum intestinale and Bacteroides ovatus. In conclusion, this study suggests that A. muciniphila restores ALD by regulating the gut microbiota, and this corrective effect is associated with alterations in the serum metabolism. Our research supplies a theoretical basis for developing A. muciniphila as an innovative generation of probiotic for preventing and managing ALD.

Farnesoid X Receptor Agonists: A Promising Therapeutic Strategy for Gastrointestinal Diseases

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for the management of various gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, including primary biliary cholangitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, alcohol-related liver disease, and primary sclerosing cholangitis. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of action of FXR agonists, including their metabolic and immunomodulatory effects, and provide an overview of the clinical evidence supporting their use in the treatment of GI diseases. We also highlight the safety, adverse effects, and potential drug interactions associated with FXR agonists. While these agents have demonstrated efficacy in improving liver function, reducing hepatic steatosis, and improving histological endpoints in primary biliary cholangitis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, further research is needed to determine their long-term safety and effectiveness in other GI diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, alcohol-related liver disease, and primary sclerosing cholangitis. Additionally, the development of next-generation FXR agonists with improved potency and reduced side effects could further enhance their therapeutic potential.

16S rRNA gene sequencing and machine learning reveal correlation between drug abuse and human host gut microbiota

Over the past few years, there has been increasing evidence highlighting the strong connection between gut microbiota and overall well-being of the host. This has led to a renewed emphasis on studying and addressing substance use disorder from the perspective of brain-gut axis. Previous studies have suggested that alcohol, food, and cigarette addictions are strongly linked to gut microbiota and faecal microbiota transplantation or the use of probiotics achieved significant efficacy. Unfortunately, little is known about the relationship between drug abuse and gut microbiota. This paper aims to reveal the potential correlation between gut microbiota and drug abuse and to develop an accurate identification model for drug-related faeces samples by machine learning. Faecal samples were collected from 476 participants from three regions in China (Shanghai, Yunnan, and Shandong). Their gut microbiota information was obtained using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and a substance use disorder identification model was developed by machine learning. Analysis revealed a lower diversity and a more homogeneous gut microbiota community structure among participants with substance use disorder. Bacteroides, Prevotella_9, Faecalibacterium, and Blautia were identified as important biomarkers associated with substance use disorder. The function prediction analysis revealed that the citrate and reductive citrate cycles were significantly upregulated in the substance use disorder group, while the shikimate pathway was downregulated. In addition, the machine learning model could distinguish faecal samples between substance users and nonsubstance users with an AUC = 0.9, indicating its potential use in predicting and screening individuals with substance use disorder within the community in the future.

The association between oral and gut microbiota in male patients with alcohol dependence

Introduction

The relationship between oral and gut microbiota in alcohol dependence (AD) is not well understood, particularly the effects of oral microbiota on the intestinal microbiota. The current study aimed to explore the association between oral and gut microbiota in AD to clarify whether oral microbiota could ectopically colonize into the gut.

Methods

16S rRNA sequence libraries were used to compare oral and gut microbial profiles in persons with AD and healthy controls (HC). Source Tracker and NetShift were used to identify bacteria responsible for ectopic colonization and indicate the driver function of ectopic colonization bacteria.

Results

The α-diversity of oral microbiota and intestinal microbiota was significantly decreased in persons with AD (all p < 0.05). Principal coordinate analysis indicated greater similarity between oral and gut microbiota in persons with AD than that in HC, and oral-gut overlaps in microbiota were found for 9 genera in persons with AD relative to only 3 genera in HC. The contribution ratio of oral microbiota to intestinal microbiota composition in AD is 5.26% based on Source Tracker，and the AD with ectopic colonization showed the daily maximum standard drinks, red blood cell counts, hemoglobin content, and PACS scores decreasing (all p < 0.05).

Discussion

Results highlight the connection between oral-gut microbiota in AD and suggest novel potential mechanistic possibilities.

Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and alcohol-associated liver disease

The use of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics has become an important therapy in numerous gastrointestinal diseases in recent years. Modifying the gut microbiota, this therapeutic approach helps to restore a healthy microbiome. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and alcohol-associated liver disease are among the leading causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. A disrupted intestinal barrier, microbial translocation, and an altered gut microbiome metabolism, or metabolome, are crucial in the pathogenesis of these chronic liver diseases. As pro-, pre-, and synbiotics modulate these targets, they were identified as possible new treatment options for liver disease. In this review, we highlight the current findings on clinical and mechanistic effects of this therapeutic approach in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and alcohol-associated liver disease.

SAELGMDA: Identifying human microbe-disease associations based on sparse autoencoder and LightGBM

Introduction

Identification of complex associations between diseases and microbes is important to understand the pathogenesis of diseases and design therapeutic strategies. Biomedical experiment-based Microbe-Disease Association (MDA) detection methods are expensive, time-consuming, and laborious.

Methods

Here, we developed a computational method called SAELGMDA for potential MDA prediction. First, microbe similarity and disease similarity are computed by integrating their functional similarity and Gaussian interaction profile kernel similarity. Second, one microbe-disease pair is presented as a feature vector by combining the microbe and disease similarity matrices. Next, the obtained feature vectors are mapped to a low-dimensional space based on a Sparse AutoEncoder. Finally, unknown microbe-disease pairs are classified based on Light Gradient boosting machine.

Results

The proposed SAELGMDA method was compared with four state-of-the-art MDA methods (MNNMDA, GATMDA, NTSHMDA, and LRLSHMDA) under five-fold cross validations on diseases, microbes, and microbe-disease pairs on the HMDAD and Disbiome databases. The results show that SAELGMDA computed the best accuracy, Matthews correlation coefficient, AUC, and AUPR under the majority of conditions, outperforming the other four MDA prediction models. In particular, SAELGMDA obtained the best AUCs of 0.8358 and 0.9301 under cross validation on diseases, 0.9838 and 0.9293 under cross validation on microbes, and 0.9857 and 0.9358 under cross validation on microbe-disease pairs on the HMDAD and Disbiome databases. Colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and lung cancer are diseases that severely threat human health. We used the proposed SAELGMDA method to find possible microbes for the three diseases. The results demonstrate that there are potential associations between Clostridium coccoides and colorectal cancer and one between Sphingomonadaceae and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, Veillonella may associate with autism. The inferred MDAs need further validation.

Conclusion

We anticipate that the proposed SAELGMDA method contributes to the identification of new MDAs.

Effects of dietary irritants on intestinal homeostasis and the intervention strategies

Abundant diet components are unexplored as vital factors in intestinal homeostasis. Dietary irritants stimulate the nervous system and provoke somatosensory responses, further inducing diarrhea, gut microbiota disorder, intestinal barrier damage or even severe gastrointestinal disease. We depicted the effects of food with piquancy, high fat, low pH, high-refined carbohydrates, and indigestible texture. The mechanism of dietary irritants on intestinal homeostasis were comprehensively summarized. Somatosensory responses to dietary irritants are palpable and have specific chemical and neural mechanisms. In contrast, even low-dose exposure to dietary irritants can involve multiple intestinal barriers. Their mechanisms in intestinal homeostasis are often overlapping and dose-dependent. Therefore, treating symptoms caused by dietary irritants requires personalized nutritional advice. The reprocessing of stimulant foods, additional supplementation with probiotics or prebiotics, and enhancement of the intestinal barrier are effective intervention strategies. This review provides promising preliminary guidelines for the treatment of symptoms and gastrointestinal injury caused by dietary irritants.

Pathogenic mechanisms and regulatory factors involved in alcoholic liver disease

Alcoholism is a widespread and damaging behaviour of people throughout the world. Long-term alcohol consumption has resulted in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) being the leading cause of chronic liver disease. Many metabolic enzymes, including alcohol dehydrogenases such as ADH, CYP2E1, and CATacetaldehyde dehydrogenases ALDHsand nonoxidative metabolizing enzymes such as SULT, UGT, and FAEES, are involved in the metabolism of ethanol, the main component in alcoholic beverages. Ethanol consumption changes the functional or expression profiles of various regulatory factors, such as kinases, transcription factors, and microRNAs. Therefore, the underlying mechanisms of ALD are complex, involving inflammation, mitochondrial damage, endoplasmic reticulum stress, nitrification, and oxidative stress. Moreover, recent evidence has demonstrated that the gut-liver axis plays a critical role in ALD pathogenesis. For example, ethanol damages the intestinal barrier, resulting in the release of endotoxins and alterations in intestinal flora content and bile acid metabolism. However, ALD therapies show low effectiveness. Therefore, this review summarizes ethanol metabolism pathways and highly influential pathogenic mechanisms and regulatory factors involved in ALD pathology with the aim of new therapeutic insights.

Therapeutic strategies of small molecules in the microbiota-gut-brain axis for alcohol use disorder

The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) is important in maintaining the structure and function of the central nervous system (CNS) and is regulated by the CNS environment and signals from the peripheral tissues. However, the mechanism and function of the MGBA in alcohol use disorder (AUD) are still not completely understood. In this review, we investigate the underlying mechanisms involved in the onset of AUD and/or associated neuronal deficits and create a foundation for better treatment (and prevention) strategies. We summarize recent reports focusing on the alteration of the MGBA in AUD. Importantly, we highlight the properties of small-molecule short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), neurotransmitters, hormones, and peptides in the MGBA and discusses their usage as therapeutic agents against AUD.

In vitro, in vivo, and in silico analysis of synbiotics as preventive interventions for lipid metabolism in ethanol-induced adipose tissue injury

The risk of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is increased by excessive ethanol drinking. For the prevention of ALD, the effects of ethanol on the liver, adipose tissue, and gut are crucial. Interestingly, garlic and a few probiotic strains can protect against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. However, the relationship between adipose tissue inflammation, Kyolic aged garlic extract (AGE), and Lactobacillus rhamnosus MTCC1423 in developing ALD is unknown. Therefore, the present study explored the effect of synbiotics (a combination of prebiotics and probiotics) on adipose tissue to prevent ALD. To investigate the efficacy of synbiotics administration on adipose tissue in preventing ALD, in vitro (3T3-L1 cells, N = 3) groups: control, control + LPS (lipopolysaccharide), ethanol, ethanol + LPS, ethanol + synbiotics, ethanol + synbiotics + LPS; in vivo (Wistar male rats, N = 6) groups: control, ethanol, pairfed, ethanol + synbiotics and in silico experiments were conducted. Lactobacillus multiplies in accordance with the growth curve when exposed to AGE. Additionally, Oil red O staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that synbiotics therapy maintained the morphology of adipocytes in the alcoholic model. In support of the morphological changes, quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated overexpression of adiponectin and downregulation of leptin, resistin, PPARγ, CYP2E1, iNOS, IL-6, and TNF-α after administration of synbiotics compared to the ethanol group. In addition, MDA estimation by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) indicated that the synbiotics treatment reduced oxidative stress in rat adipose tissue. Consequently, the in-silico analysis revealed that AGE inhibited the C-D-T networks as PPARγ acting as the main target protein. The current study demonstrates that using synbiotics improves adipose tissue metabolism in ALD.

Gut microbiome as a therapeutic target for liver diseases

The prominent role of gut in regulating the physiology of different organs in a human body is increasingly acknowledged, to which the bidirectional communication between gut and liver is no exception. Liver health is modulated via different key components of gut-liver axis. The gut-derived products mainly generated from dietary components, microbial metabolites, toxins, or other antigens are sensed and transported to the liver through portal vein to which liver responds by secreting bile acids and antibodies. Therefore, maintaining a healthy gut microbiome can promote homeostasis of this gut-liver axis by regulating the intestinal barrier function and reducing the antigenic molecules. Conversely, liver secretions also regulate the gut microbiome composition. Disturbed homeostasis allows luminal antigens to reach liver leading to impaired liver functioning and instigating liver disorders. The perturbations in gut microbiome, permeability, and bile acid pool have been associated with several liver disorders, although precise mechanisms remain largely unresolved. Herein, we discuss functional fingerprints of a healthy gut-liver axis while contemplating mechanistic understanding of pathophysiology of liver diseases and plausible role of gut dysbiosis in different diseased states of liver. Further, novel therapeutic approaches to prevent the severity of liver disorders are discussed in this review.

Bacillus subtilis pretreatment alleviates ethanol-induced acute liver injury by regulating the Gut-liver axis in mice

This study was designed to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of Bacillus subtilis, a commensal bacterial species in the human gut, on ethanol-induced acute liver damage and the underlying mechanisms in mice. Male ICR mice challenged with three doses of ethanol (5.5 g/kg BW) exhibited a significant increase in serum aminotransferase activities and TNF-α level, liver fat accumulation, and activation of NF-κB signaling and NLRP3 inflammasome, which was suppressed by pretreatment with Bacillus subtilis. Besides, Bacillus subtilis inhibited acute ethanol-induced intestinal villi shortening and epithelial loss, the decline of protein levels of intestinal tight junction protein ZO-1 and occludin, and elevation of serum LPS level. Furthermore, the upregulation of mucin-2 (MUC2) and the downregulation of anti-microbial Reg3B and Reg3G levels induced by ethanol were repressed by Bacillus subtilis. Lastly, Bacillus subtilis pretreatment significantly increased the abundance of the intestinal Bacillus, but had no effects on the binge drinking-induced increase of Prevotellaceae abundance. These results demonstrate that Bacillus subtilis supplementation could ameliorate binge drinking-induced liver injury, and thus may serve as a functional dietary supplement for binge drinkers.