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VanderVeen BN, Cardaci TD, Bullard BM, Madden M, Li J, Velazquez KT, Kubinak JL, Fan D, Murphy EA. Involvement of the gut microbiota in cancer cachexia. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2024; 327:C661-C670. [PMID: 38981609 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00327.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Cancer cachexia, or the unintentional loss of body weight in patients with cancer, is a multiorgan and multifactorial syndrome with a complex and largely unknown etiology; however, metabolic dysfunction and inflammation remain hallmarks of cancer-associated wasting. Although cachexia manifests with muscle and adipose tissue loss, perturbations to the gastrointestinal tract may serve as the frontline for both impaired nutrient absorption and immune-activating gut dysbiosis. Investigations into the gut microbiota have exploded within the past two decades, demonstrating multiple gut-tissue axes; however, the link between adipose and skeletal muscle wasting and the gut microbiota with cancer is only beginning to be understood. Furthermore, the most used anticancer drugs (e.g. chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors) negatively impact gut homeostasis, potentially exacerbating wasting and contributing to poor patient outcomes and survival. In this review, we 1) highlight our current understanding of the microbial changes that occur with cachexia, 2) discuss how microbial changes may contribute to adipose and skeletal muscle wasting, and 3) outline study design considerations needed when examining the role of the microbiota in cancer-induced cachexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon N VanderVeen
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine Columbia, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
| | - Thomas D Cardaci
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine Columbia, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
| | - Brooke M Bullard
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine Columbia, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
| | - Michael Madden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
| | - Kandy T Velazquez
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine Columbia, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
| | - Jason L Kubinak
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine Columbia, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
| | - Daping Fan
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
| | - E Angela Murphy
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine Columbia, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
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Wolfschluckner V, Obermüller B, Horvath A, Rodriguez-Blanco G, Fuchs P, Miekisch W, Mittl B, Flucher C, Till H, Singer G. Metabolomic Alterations of Volatile Organic Compounds and Bile Acids as Biomarkers of Microbial Shifts in a Murine Model of Short Bowel Syndrome. Nutrients 2023; 15:4949. [PMID: 38068807 PMCID: PMC10708115 DOI: 10.3390/nu15234949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pediatric short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a rare condition characterized by a massive loss of the small intestine, leading to the inability to meet nutritional requirements without the use of parenteral or enteral supplementation. SBS causes profound alterations in the intestinal microbiome and metabolome. The aim of this study was a detailed assessment of the intestinal microbiome and metabolome in a murine model of SBS. We performed a 60% proximal small bowel resection versus a sham operation in C57BL/6 mice. Four weeks postoperatively, the microbial communities of different intestinal segments (jejunum, ileum, colon) and stool were assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Bile acids in serum and stool and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the fecal headspace were assessed using LC-MS and GC-MS techniques. The α-diversity of the different intestinal segments did not significantly differ between the two groups. β-diversity significantly differed between sham and SBS mice. While in the jejunum, Faecalibaculum was significantly increased in SBS animals, a significant reduction in Lactobacillus and Sporosarcina was detected in the ileum of SBS mice. In the colon of SBS mice, a significant decrease in Ruminococcaceae and a significant increase in Proteobacteria such as Faecalibaculum and Escherichia-Shigella were found. Serum levels of deoxycholic, taurocholic and taurochenodeoxycholic acids were significantly higher in the SBS group. Of the 29 VOCs tested, hexane, isoflurane and pentane were significantly higher in the SBS group, and pyrrole was significantly lower. We were able to show that SBS causes shifts in the murine intestinal microbiome and metabolome including serum BAs and fecal VOCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Wolfschluckner
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria; (V.W.); (B.M.); (C.F.); (H.T.); (G.S.)
| | - Beate Obermüller
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria; (V.W.); (B.M.); (C.F.); (H.T.); (G.S.)
| | - Angela Horvath
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria;
| | - Giovanny Rodriguez-Blanco
- Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria;
| | - Patricia Fuchs
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Therapy, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (P.F.); (W.M.)
| | - Wolfram Miekisch
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Therapy, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (P.F.); (W.M.)
| | - Barbara Mittl
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria; (V.W.); (B.M.); (C.F.); (H.T.); (G.S.)
| | - Christina Flucher
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria; (V.W.); (B.M.); (C.F.); (H.T.); (G.S.)
| | - Holger Till
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria; (V.W.); (B.M.); (C.F.); (H.T.); (G.S.)
| | - Georg Singer
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria; (V.W.); (B.M.); (C.F.); (H.T.); (G.S.)
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