Changes in the Gut Metabolic Profile of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Rats Following Probiotic Supplementation

Maternal gut microbiota in the health of mothers and offspring: from the perspective of immunology

Due to the physiological alteration during pregnancy, maternal gut microbiota changes following the metabolic processes. Recent studies have revealed that maternal gut microbiota is closely associated with the immune microenvironment in utero during pregnancy and plays a vital role in specific pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth and recurrent miscarriages. Some other evidence has also shown that aberrant maternal gut microbiota increases the risk of various diseases in the offspring, such as allergic and neurodevelopmental disorders, through the immune alignment between mother and fetus and the possible intrauterine microbiota. Probiotics and the high-fiber diet are effective inventions to prevent mothers and fetuses from diseases. In this review, we summarize the role of maternal gut microbiota in the development of pregnancy complications and the health condition of future generations from the perspective of immunology, which may provide new therapeutic strategies for the health management of mothers and offspring.

Ameliorative Effect of Mannuronate Oligosaccharides on Hyperuricemic Mice via Promoting Uric Acid Excretion and Modulating Gut Microbiota

Mannuronate oligosaccharide (MOS) is α-D-mannuronic acid polymer with 1,4-glycosidic linkages that possesses beneficial biological properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the hypouricemic effect of MOS in hyperuricemic mice and demonstrate the possible protective mechanisms involved. In this research, 200 mg/kg/day of MOS was orally administered to hyperuricemic mice for four weeks. The results showed that the MOS treatment significantly reduced the serum uric acid (SUA) level from 176.4 ± 7.9 μmol/L to 135.7 ± 10.9 μmol/L (p < 0.05). MOS alleviated the inflammatory response in the kidney. Moreover, MOS promoted uric acid excretion by regulating the protein levels of renal GLUT9, URAT1 and intestinal GLUT9, ABCG2. MOS modulated the gut microbiota in hyperuricemic mice and decreased the levels of Tyzzerella. In addition, research using antibiotic-induced pseudo-sterile mice demonstrated that the gut microbiota played a crucial role in reducing elevated serum uric acid of MOS in mice. In conclusion, MOS may be a potential candidate for alleviating HUA symptoms and regulating gut microbiota.

Lactobacillus paracaseiN1115 attenuates obesity in high-fat diet-induced obese mice

Disruption of the microbial structure of intestinal bacteria due to a high-fat diet (HFD) is closely associated with metabolic disorders, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Probiotics are known to modulate the gut microbiota; therefore, we demonstrated the capability of Lactobacillus paracasei N1115 (LC-N1115) to attenuate obesity. Four-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed a HFD for 12 weeks to induce obesity and were then randomized to supplemented placebo or LC-N1115 treatment group for another 12 weeks. LC-N1115 treatment reduced weight gain and liver fat accumulation as well as triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The administration of LC-N1115 suppressed the expression of fatty acid synthase, interleukin-1 β, and toll-like receptor 4. Notably, the operational taxonomic units that negatively and positively correlated with the obesity phenotypes were enriched and reduced, respectively, in the LC-N1115 treatment group. These results indicate that LC-N1115 attenuates obesity by modulating the gut microbiota and the expression of lipid synthesis and proinflammatory cytokine genes.