High Relative Abundance of Lactobacillus reuteri and Fructose Intake are Associated with Adiposity and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Children from Mexico City

Assessing the impact of concurrent high-fructose and high-saturated fat diets on pediatric metabolic syndrome: A review

High-saturated fat (HF) or high-fructose (HFr) consumption in children predispose them to metabolic syndrome (MetS). In rodent models of MetS, diets containing individually HF or HFr lead to a variable degree of MetS. Nevertheless, simultaneous intake of HF plus HFr have synergistic effects, worsening MetS outcomes. In children, the effects of HF or HFr intake usually have been addressed individually. Therefore, we have reviewed the outcomes of HF or HFr diets in children, and we compare them with the effects reported in rodents. In humans, HFr intake causes increased lipogenesis, hypertriglyceridemia, obesity and insulin resistance. On the other hand, HF diets promote low grade-inflammation, obesity, insulin resistance. Despite the deleterious effects of simultaneous HF plus HFr intake on MetS development in rodents, there is little information about the combined effects of HF plus HFr intake in children. The aim of this review is to warn about this issue, as individually addressing the effects produced by HF or HFr may underestimate the severity of the outcomes of Western diet intake in the pediatric population. We consider that this is an alarming issue that needs to be assessed, as the simultaneous intake of HF plus HFr is common on fast food menus.

Effects of Limosilactobacillus reuteri ID-D01 Probiotic Supplementation on Exercise Performance and Gut Microbiota in Sprague-Dawley Rats

The gut microbiota composition in animals and humans has recently been found to be influenced by exercise. Although Limosilactobacillus reuteri strains have notable probiotic properties that promote human health, understanding of its effects in combination with exercise and physical activity is limited. Therefore, this study examined the effects of L. reuteri ID-D01, a human-derived probiotic, on exercise performance and fatigue in Sprague-Dawley rats. Organ weight, maximal running distance, serum biochemistry, muscle performance, microbial community composition, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels were assessed. Results indicated that ID-D01 supplementation significantly improved endurance performance. Rats in the probiotic group demonstrated a significant increase in maximal running distance compared with that in the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, levels of fatigue markers, such as lactate and creatine phosphokinase, were significantly reduced in the ID-D01-administered groups, suggesting its potential to alleviate exercise-induced fatigue. Microbiome analysis revealed a distinct shift in gut microbiota composition in response to ID-D01 administration. The group that received ID-D01 probiotics exhibited a significant increase in the abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria, particularly Akkermansia spp., compared with that in the control groups. Furthermore, they showed elevated production of SCFAs, such as acetate and butyrate. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that ID-D01 can enhance exercise performance and reduce fatigue. Herein, we highlighted that human-derived probiotics could improve physical performance, as observed by changes in gut microbiota composition and SCFA production.

Characterization of gut microbiota associated with metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes mellitus in Mexican pediatric subjects

BACKGROUND

Childhood obesity is a serious public health concern that confers a greater risk of developing important comorbidities such as MetS and T2DM. Recent studies evidence that gut microbiota may be a contributing factor; however, only few studies exist in school-age children. Understanding the potential role of gut microbiota in MetS and T2DM pathophysiology from early stages of life might contribute to innovative gut microbiome-based interventions that may improve public health. The main objective of the present study was to characterize and compare gut bacteria of T2DM and MetS children against control subjects and determine which microorganisms might be potentially related with cardiometabolic risk factors to propose gut microbial biomarkers that characterize these conditions for future development of pre-diagnostic tools.

RESULTS

Stool samples from 21 children with T2DM, 25 with MetS, and 20 controls (n = 66) were collected and processed to conduct 16S rDNA gene sequencing. α- and β-diversity were studied to detect microbial differences among studied groups. Spearman correlation was used to analyze possible associations between gut microbiota and cardiometabolic risk factors, and linear discriminant analyses (LDA) were conducted to determine potential gut bacterial biomarkers. T2DM and MetS showed significant changes in their gut microbiota at genus and family level. Read relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and Oscillospora was significantly higher in MetS and an increasing trend of Prevotella and Dorea was observed from the control group towards T2DM. Positive correlations were found between Prevotella, Dorea, Faecalibacterium, and Lactobacillus with hypertension, abdominal obesity, high glucose levels, and high triglyceride levels. LDA demonstrated the relevance of studying least abundant microbial communities to find specific microbial communities that were characteristic of each studied health condition.

CONCLUSIONS

Gut microbiota was different at family and genus taxonomic levels among controls, MetS, and T2DM study groups within children from 7 to 17 years old, and some communities seemed to be correlated with relevant subjects' metadata. LDA helped to find potential microbial biomarkers, providing new insights regarding pediatric gut microbiota and its possible use in the future development of gut microbiome-based predictive algorithms.

Limosilactobacillus reuteri in Health and Disease

Limosilactobacillus reuteri is a microorganism with valuable probiotic qualities that has been widely employed in humans to promote health. It is a well-studied probiotic bacterium that exerts beneficial health effects due to several metabolic mechanisms that enhance the production of anti-inflammatory cytochines and modulate the gut microbiota by the production of antimicrobial molecules, including reuterin. This review provides an overview of the data that support the role of probiotic properties, and the antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects of some L. reuteri strains in relation to their metabolite production profile on the amelioration of many diseases and disorders. Although the results discussed in this paper are strain dependent, they show that L. reuteri, by different mechanisms and various metabolites, may control body weight and obesity, improve insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis, increase gut integrity and immunomodulation, and attenuate hepatic disorders. Gut microbiota modulation by ingesting probiotic L. reuteri strains could be a promising preventative and therapeutic approach against many diseases and disorders.

The Effects of Limosilactobacillus reuteri LR-99 Supplementation on Body Mass Index, Social Communication, Fine Motor Function, and Gut Microbiome Composition in Individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome: a Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Trial

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder associated with developmental delay, obesity, and neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Limosilactobacillus reuteri (Lactobacillus reuteri, Lact. reuteri) has demonstrated anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects in previous studies. In the present study, we aim to evaluate the effects of Lact. reuteri supplementation on body mass index (BMI), social behaviors, and gut microbiota in individuals with PWS. We conducted a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 71 individuals with PWS aged 6 to 264 months (64.4 ± 51.0 months). Participants were randomly assigned to either receive daily Lact. reuteri LR-99 probiotic (6 × 10¹⁰ colony forming units) or a placebo sachet. Groupwise differences were assessed for BMI, ASQ-3, and GARS-3 at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks into treatment. Gut microbiome data was analyzed with the QIIME2 software package, and predictive functional profiling was conducted with PICRUSt-2. We found a significant reduction in BMI for the probiotic group at both 6 weeks and 12 weeks relative to the baseline (P < 0.05). Furthermore, we observed a significant improvement in social communication and interaction, fine motor function, and total ASQ-3 score in the probiotics group compared to the placebo group (P < 0.05). Altered gut microbiota was observed in the probiotic group to favor weight loss and improve gut health. The findings suggest a novel therapeutic potential for Lact. reuteri LR-99 probiotic to modulate BMI, social behaviors, and gut microbiota in Prader-Willi syndrome patients, although further investigation is warranted.Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR1900022646.

Diet, adiposity, and the gut microbiota from infancy to adolescence: A systematic review

Early life gut microbiota are affected by several factors that make identification of microbial-adiposity relationships challenging. This review evaluates studies that have investigated the gut microbiota composition associated with adiposity in infants, children, and adolescents and provides evidence-based nutrition recommendations that address microbiota-adiposity links. Electronic databases were systematically searched through January 2020. Eligible studies were published in English and analyzed gut microbiota and adiposity among individuals aged birth to 18 years. Abstracts and full-text articles were reviewed by three independent reviewers. Of 45 full-text articles reviewed, 33 were included. No difference in abundance was found for Bacteroidetes (n = 7/15 articles), Firmicutes (n = 10/17), Actinobacteria (n = 8/12), Proteobacteria (n = 8/12), Tenericutes (n = 4/5), and Verrucomicrobia (n = 4/6) with adiposity. Lower abundance of Christensenellaceae (n = 3/5) and Rikenellaceae (n = 6/8) but higher abundance of F. prausnitzii (n = 3/5) and Prevotella (n = 5/7) were associated with adiposity. A lack of consensus exists for gut microbial composition associations with adiposity. A healthy gut microbiota is associated with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables with moderate consumption of animal fat and protein. Future research should use more robust sequencing technologies to identify all bacterial taxa associated with adiposity and evaluate how diet effects these adiposity-associated microbes.

Role of gut microbiota in sex- and diet-dependent metabolic disorders that lead to early mortality of androgen receptor-deficient male mice

The gut microbiota is involved in metabolic disorders induced by androgen deficiency after sexual maturation in males (late-onset hypogonadism). However, its role in the energy metabolism of congenital androgen deficiency (e.g., androgen-insensitive syndrome) remains elusive. Here, we examined the link between the gut microbiota and metabolic disease symptoms in androgen receptor knockout (ARKO) mouse by administering high-fat diet (HFD) and/or antibiotics. HFD-fed male, but not standard diet-fed male or HFD-fed female, ARKO mice exhibited increased feed efficiency, obesity with increased visceral adipocyte mass and hypertrophy, hepatic steatosis, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and loss of thigh muscle. In contrast, subcutaneous fat mass accumulated in ARKO mice irrespective of the diet and sex. Notably, all HFD-dependent metabolic disorders observed in ARKO males were abolished after antibiotics administration. The ratios of fecal weight-to-food weight and cecum weight-to-body weight were specifically reduced by ARKO in HFD-fed males. 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal microbiota from HFD-fed male mice revealed differences in microbiota composition between control and ARKO mice. Several genera or species (e.g., Turicibacter and Lactobacillus reuteri, respectively) were enriched in ARKO mice, and antibiotics treatment spoiled the changes. Furthermore, the life span of HFD-fed ARKO males was shorter than that of control mice, indicating that androgen deficiency causes metabolic dysfunctions leading to early death. These findings also suggest that AR signaling plays a role in the prevention of metabolic dysfunctions, presumably by influencing the gut microbiome, and improve our understanding of health consequences in subjects with hypogonadism and androgen insensitivity.