Distinctive gut microbial dysbiosis between chronic alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease in mice

Exposure to Microcystin-LR Promotes Colorectal Cancer Progression by Altering Gut Microbiota and Associated Metabolites in APCmin/+ Mice

Microcystins (MCs), toxins generated by cyanobacteria, feature microcystin-LR (MC-LR) as one of the most prevalent and toxic variants in aquatic environments. MC-LR not only causes environmental problems but also presents a substantial risk to human health. This study aimed to investigate the impact of MC-LR on APCmin/+ mice, considered as an ideal animal model for intestinal tumors. We administered 40 µg/kg MC-LR to mice by gavage for 8 weeks, followed by histopathological examination, microbial diversity and metabolomics analysis. The mice exposed to MC-LR exhibited a significant promotion in colorectal cancer progression and impaired intestinal barrier function in the APCmin/+ mice compared with the control. Gut microbial dysbiosis was observed in the MC-LR-exposed mice, manifesting a notable alteration in the structure of the gut microbiota. This included the enrichment of Marvinbryantia, Gordonibacter and Family_XIII_AD3011_group and reductions in Faecalibaculum and Lachnoclostridium. Metabolomics analysis revealed increased bile acid (BA) metabolites in the intestinal contents of the mice exposed to MC-LR, particularly taurocholic acid (TCA), alpha-muricholic acid (α-MCA), 3-dehydrocholic acid (3-DHCA), 7-ketodeoxycholic acid (7-KDCA) and 12-ketodeoxycholic acid (12-KDCA). Moreover, we found that Marvinbryantia and Family_XIII_AD3011_group showed the strongest positive correlation with taurocholic acid (TCA) in the mice exposed to MC-LR. These findings provide new insights into the roles and mechanisms of MC-LR in susceptible populations, providing a basis for guiding values of MC-LR in drinking water.

Probiotic yogurt regulates gut microbiota homeostasis and alleviates hepatic steatosis and liver injury induced by high-fat diet in golden hamsters

This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of probiotic yogurt on lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in metabolic-related fatty liver disease (MAFLD) golden hamsters fed on a high-fat diet (HFD). The results demonstrated that probiotic yogurt significantly reversed the adverse effects caused by HFD, such as body and liver weight gain, liver steatosis and damage, sterol deposition, and oxidative stress after 8 weeks of intervention. qRT-PCR analysis showed that golden hamsters fed HFD had upregulated genes related to adipogenesis, increased free fatty acid infiltration, and downregulated genes related to lipolysis and very low-density lipoprotein secretion. Probiotic yogurt supplements significantly inhibited HFD-induced changes in the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the intestinal content microbiota suggested that probiotic yogurt changed the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota in HFD-fed hamsters. Probiotic yogurt decreased the ratio of the phyla Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes, the relative abundance of the LPS-producing genus Desulfovibrio, and bacteria involved in lipid metabolism, whereas it increased the relative abundance of short-chain fatty acids producing bacteria in HFD-fed hamsters. Predictive functional analysis of the microbial community showed that probiotic yogurt-modified genes involved in LPS biosynthesis and lipid metabolism. In summary, these findings support the possibility that probiotic yogurt significantly improves HFD-induced metabolic disorders through modulating intestinal microflora and lipid metabolism and effectively regulating the occurrence and development of MAFLD. Therefore, probiotic yogurt supplementation may serve as an effective nutrition strategy for the treatment of patients with MAFLD clinically.

Development and Internal Validation of a Model for Predicting Overall Survival in Subjects with MAFLD: A Cohort Study

Background & Aims: Fatty liver disease with metabolic dysfunction (MAFLD) is a new concept proposed to replace the previous concept of Non-Alcoholic Hepatic Steatosis (NAFLD). We developed and internally validated a prognostic model to predict the likelihood of death in a cohort of subjects with MAFLD. Methods: Our work involved two steps: the first was the construction of a bootstrapped multivariable Cox model for mortality risk prognosis and the second was its validation. Results: The study cohort included 1506 subjects, of which 907 were used for internal validation. Discriminant measures for the final model were R2D 0.6845 and Harrell's C 0.8422 in the development and R2D 0.6930 and Harrell's C 0.8465 in the validation. We used the nine independent prognostic factors selected by the LASSO Cox procedure and fitted by the bootstrap Cox survival model, and observed β were: Gender 0.356 1.42 (p < 0.008), Age 0.146 (p < 0.001), Glycemia 0.004 (p < 0.002), Total Cholesterol -0.0040 (p < 0.009), Gamma Glutamyl Transpeptidase 0.009 (p < 0.001), SBP 0.009 (p < 0.036), DBP -0.016 (p < 0.041), ALP 0.008 (p < 0.071) and Widowhood 0.550 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: We produced and validated a model to estimate the probability of death in subjects with MAFLD. The instruments we used showed satisfactory predictive capabilities.

Interaction between Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) and Acetaminophen in Disease Exacerbation-Focusing on Autism and the Gut-Liver-Brain Axis

This review presents a new perspective on the exacerbation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through the gut-liver-brain axis. We have summarized evidence reported on the involvement of the gut microbiome and liver inflammation that led to the onset and exacerbation of ASD symptoms. As PFAS are toxicants that particularly target liver, this review has comprehensively explored the possible interaction between PFAS and acetaminophen, another liver toxicant, as the chemicals of interest for future toxicology research. Our hypothesis is that, at acute dosages, acetaminophen has the ability to aggravate the impaired conditions of the PFAS-exposed liver, which would further exacerbate neurological symptoms such as lack of social communication and interest, and repetitive behaviors using mechanisms related to the gut-liver-brain axis. This review discusses their potential interactions in terms of the gut-liver-brain axis and signaling pathways that may contribute to neurological diseases.

The Role of Bifidobacterium in Liver Diseases: A Systematic Review of Next-Generation Sequencing Studies

The physiopathology of liver diseases is complex and can be caused by various factors. Bifidobacterium is a bacterial genus commonly found in the human gut microbiome and has been shown to influence the development of different stages of liver diseases significantly. This study investigated the relationship between the Bifidobacterium genus and liver injury. In this work, we performed a systematic review in major databases using the key terms "Bifidobacterium", "ALD", "NAFLD", "NASH", "cirrhosis", and "HCC" to achieve our purpose. In total, 31 articles were selected for analysis. In particular, we focused on studies that used next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. The studies focused on assessing Bifidobacterium levels in the diseases and interventional aimed at examining the therapeutic potential of Bifidobacterium in the mentioned conditions. Overall, the abundance of Bifidobacterium was reduced in hepatic pathologies. Low levels of Bifidobacterium were associated with harmful biochemical and physiological parameters, as well as an adverse clinical outcome. However, interventional studies using different drugs and treatments were able to increase the abundance of the genus and improve clinical outcomes. These results strongly support the hypothesis that changes in the abundance of Bifidobacterium significantly influence both the pathophysiology of hepatic diseases and the related clinical outcomes. In addition, our critical assessment of the NGS methods and related statistical analyses employed in each study highlights concerns with the methods used to define the differential abundance of Bifidobacterium, including potential biases and the omission of relevant information.

FBXL5 promotes lipid accumulation in alcoholic fatty liver disease by promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of TFEB

BACKGROUND

Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) is characterized by abnormal lipid droplet accumulation in liver. Epigenetic regulation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AFLD. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis revealed that an E3 ubiquitin ligase, F-box and leucine-rich repeats protein 5 (FBXL5), was significantly upregulated in AFLD mice.

METHODS

The mouse model of AFLD was established by feeding Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet containing ethanol. An in vitro model of AFLD was established by treating HepG2 cells with ethanol (EtOH). The FBXL5 expression was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blotting assays. The levels of triglyceride (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lipid accumulation were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Nile red staining.

RESULTS

The FBXL5 expression was markedly up-regulated in in vivo and in vitro models of AFLD compared with controls. Functionally, FBXL5 knockdown alleviated lipid accumulation in EtOH-treated HepG2 cells. Mechanistically, FBXL5 directly interacted with transcription factor EB (TFEB) and accelerated its ubiquitination-mediated degradation. TFEB knockdown reversed the effect of FBXL5 inhibition on decreasing EtOH-induced lipid accumulation.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that FBXL5 promotes lipid accumulation in AFLD by promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of TFEB.

Gut-microbiota in children and adolescents with obesity: inferred functional analysis and machine-learning algorithms to classify microorganisms

The fecal microbiome of 55 obese children and adolescents (BMI-SDS 3.2 ± 0.7) and of 25 normal-weight subjects, matched both for age and sex (BMI-SDS - 0.3 ± 1.1) was analysed. Streptococcus, Acidaminococcus, Sutterella, Prevotella, Sutterella wadsworthensis, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Prevotella copri positively correlated with obesity. The inferred pathways strongly associated with obesity concern the biosynthesis pathways of tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and methionine pathways. Furthermore, polyamine biosynthesis virulence factors and pro-inflammatory lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis pathway showed higher abundances in obese samples, while the butanediol biosynthesis showed low abundance in obese subjects. Different taxa strongly linked with obesity have been related to an increased risk of multiple diseases involving metabolic pathways related to inflammation (polyamine and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis). Cholesterol, LDL, and CRP positively correlated with specific clusters of microbial in obese patients. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes-ratio was lower in obese samples than in controls and differently from the literature we state that this ratio could not be a biomarker for obesity.

The Alterations of Gut Microbiome and Lipid Metabolism in Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy

INTRODUCTION

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) can cause multiple system dysfunction, especially lipid metabolic disorders, for which management strategies are currently lacking. Microbes are related to metabolism and the pathogenesis of neurological diseases. This study aimed to preliminarily explore the alterations in the gut microbiota in SMA and the potential relationship between altered microbiota and lipid metabolic disorders.

METHODS

Fifteen patients with SMA and 17 gender- and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Feces and fasting plasma samples were collected. 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing and nontargeted metabolomics analysis were performed to explore the correlation between microbiota and differential lipid metabolites.

RESULTS

No significant difference was found in microbial diversity (α- and β-diversity) between the SMA and control groups, with both groups having a relatively similar community structure. However, compared to the control group, the SMA group showed an increased relative abundance of the genera Ruminiclostridium, Gordonibacter, Enorma, Lawsonella, Frisingicoccus, and Anaerofilum and a decreased abundance of the genera Catabacter, Howardella, Marine_Methylotrophic_Group_3, and Lachnospiraceae_AC2044_group. The concurrent metabolomic analysis showed that the SMA group had 56 different kinds of lipid metabolite levels than did the control group. Additionally, the Spearman correlation suggested a correlation between the altered differential lipid metabolites and the above-mentioned altered microbiota.

CONCLUSIONS

The gut microbiome and lipid metabolites differed between the patients with SMA and the control subjects. The altered microbiota may be related with the lipid metabolic disorders in SMA. However, further study is necessary to clarify the mechanism of lipid metabolic disorders and develop management strategies to improve the related complications in SMA.

The Association between Caffeine Intake and the Colonic Mucosa-Associated Gut Microbiota in Humans-A Preliminary Investigation

We examined the association between caffeine and coffee intake and the community composition and structure of colonic microbiota. A total of 34 polyp-free adults donated 97 colonic biopsies. Microbial DNA was sequenced for the 16S rRNA gene V4 region. The amplicon sequence variant was assigned using DADA2 and SILVA. Food consumption was ascertained using a food frequency questionnaire. We compared the relative abundance of taxonomies by low (<82.9 mg) vs. high (≥82.9 mg) caffeine intake and by never or <2 cups vs. 2 cups vs. ≥3 cups coffee intake. False discovery rate-adjusted p values (q values) <0.05 indicated statistical significance. Multivariable negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the incidence rate ratio and its 95% confidence interval of having a non-zero count of certain bacteria by intake level. Higher caffeine and coffee intake was related to higher alpha diversity (Shannon index p < 0.001), higher relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and Alistipes, and lower relative abundance of Erysipelatoclostridium (q values < 0.05). After adjustment of vitamin B2 in multivariate analysis, the significant inverse association between Erysipelatoclostridium count and caffeine intake remained statistically significant. Our preliminary study could not evaluate other prebiotics in coffee.

Modulatory Effect of Fermented Black Soybean and Adlay on Gut Microbiota Contributes to Healthy Aging

SCOPE

Aging is a natural process characterized by a multifactorial, physical decline, and functional disability. Nevertheless, healthy aging can be achieved by following a multidirectional strategy. The current study aims to investigate the anti-aging potential of fermented black soybean and adlay (FBA).

METHODS AND RESULTS

FBA supplements are incorporated into a natural aging mouse model that is designed to evaluate anti-aging effects. Results show that FBA supplementation prevents muscle loss and visceral adipose tissue accumulation. FBA can also reduce aging biomarkers (including the expression of hepatic p16^INK4A and galactosidase beta-1 (GLB1). Hepatic 8-hydoxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and pro-inflammatory cytokines have been significantly reduced. Lastly, FBA supplementation improves aging-related gut microbial dysbiosis by reshaping gut microbial composition and promoting the growth of beneficial microbes such as Alistipes, Anaeroplasma, Coriobacteriaceae UCG002, and Parvibacter members in both genders of aged mice. In the functional prediction of gut microbiota, correlations to metabolic, neurodegenerative, infectious, and immune system diseases have been reduced in supplemented mice compared to aged mice. Moreover, FBA supplementation can reverse the reduced ability of microbiota in aged mice for lipid metabolism and xenobiotics biodegradation.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that FBA exhibits noteworthy anti-aging effects and that it can potentially be developed into a functional food for healthy aging.

Monounsaturated fatty acid-enriched olive oil exacerbates chronic alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis and liver injury in C57BL/6J mice

Dietary oil composition determines the pathological processes of alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD). Oil rich in saturated fatty acids protects, whereas oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids aggravates the alcohol-induced liver injury. However, limited studies have been conducted to address how monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) enriched oil controls the pathological development of AFLD. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of MUFA-enriched extra virgin olive oil (OO) on AFLD. Twenty C57BL/6J mice were randomly allocated into four groups and fed modified Lieber-DeCarli liquid diets containing isocaloric maltose dextrin a non-alcohol or alcohol with corn oil and OO for four weeks. Dietary OO significantly exacerbated alcohol-induced liver dysfunction, evidenced by histological examinations and disturbed biochemical parameters. Dietary OO with alcohol decreased hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), phosphorylated 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-Iα (CPT1α) expression, and increased sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), diacylglycerol acyltransferase-2 (DGAT2), and very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) expression in the liver. It also promoted the expression of hepatic interleukin-6 (IL-6) and hepatic tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) at the transcriptional level. Additionally, adipose tissue lipolysis partially had an etiologic effect on alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis under OO pretreatment. In conclusion, MUFA-enriched OO exacerbated liver dysfunction in vivo. OO should be cautiously considered as a unique dietary oil source for individuals with AFLD.

The gut microbiota: A new perspective for tertiary prevention of hepatobiliary and gallbladder diseases

The gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem that has coevolved with the human body for hundreds of millions of years. In the past 30 years, with the progress of gene sequencing and omics technology, the research related to gut microbiota has developed rapidly especially in the field of digestive system diseases and systemic metabolic diseases. Mechanical, biological, immune, and other factors make the intestinal flora form a close bidirectional connection with the liver and gallbladder, which can be called the "gut-liver-biliary axis." Liver and gallbladder, as internal organs of the peritoneum, suffer from insidious onset, which are not easy to detect. The diagnosis is often made through laboratory chemical tests and imaging methods, and intervention measures are usually taken only when organic lesions have occurred. At this time, some people may have entered the irreversible stage of disease development. We reviewed the literature describing the role of intestinal flora in the pathogenesis and biotherapy of hepatobiliary diseases in the past 3-5 years, including the dynamic changes of intestinal flora at different stages of the disease, as well as the signaling pathways involved in intestinal flora and its metabolites, etc. After summarizing the above contents, we hope to highlight the potential of intestinal flora as a new clinical target for early prevention, early diagnosis, timely treatment and prognosis of hepatobiliary diseases. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT.

Gut Microbiome and Alcohol-associated Liver Disease

Changes in gut microbiota (GM) may be associated with the causation and progression of multiple liver diseases such as metabolic-associated liver disease, alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH), primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, autoimmune liver disease, and most importantly, complications of cirrhosis and portal hypertension such as hepatic encephalopathy (HE), infection, and hepatocellular carcinoma. ALD includes simple steatosis, steatohepatitis, AH, cirrhosis, and acute-on-chronic liver failure. Alcohol consumption is associated with GM changes even before ALD development, and continued alcohol intake results in progressive dysbiosis and development of clinical events such as AH, infection, and HE. The composition and function of GM, specific changes in bacterial communities, and the functional metabolism of GM are affected in the spectrum of ALD, as revealed using high-throughput sequencing. It was reported in preliminary studies that modulation of disrupted GM improves adverse clinical events and ameliorates disease progression in ALD. In this review, we exhaustively discuss the preclinical and clinical studies on GM in ALD and critically discuss GM modulation and its effects based on various human and animal models of ALD.

Role of gut bacterial and non-bacterial microbiota in alcohol-associated liver disease: Molecular mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutic prospective

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) comprises a spectrum of liver diseases that include: steatosis to alcohol-associated hepatitis, cirrhosis, and ultimately hepatocellular carcinoma. The pathophysiology and potential underlying mechanisms for alcohol-associated liver disease are unclear. Moreover, the treatment of ALD remains a challenge. Intestinal microbiota include bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that are now known to be important in the development of ALD. Alcohol consumption can change the gut microbiota and function leading to liver disease. Given the importance of interactions between intestinal microbiota, alcohol, and liver injury, the gut microbiota has emerged as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target. This review focuses on the potential mechanisms by which the gut microbiota may be involved in the pathogenesis of ALD and explains how this can be translated into clinical management. We discuss the potential of utilizing the gut microbiota signature as a biomarker in ALD patients. Additionally, we present an overview of the prospect of modulating the intestinal microbiota for the management of ALD.

Protective effects of E Se tea extracts against alcoholic fatty liver disease induced by high fat/alcohol diet: In vivo biological evaluation and molecular docking study

BACKGROUND

With the development of economy and increased workload, chronic a high-fat/alcohol diet intake may lead to alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), which is considered as a crucial health problem worldwide. E Se tea is produced of the leaves and leaf buds of Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes in Tibet and has human health benefits with anti-hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia effects.

PURPOSE

The objective of this work was to investigate the protective effect of aqueous-ethanol and hot-water extracts of E Se tea against chronic high-fat/alcohol diet induced AFLD rats.

METHODS

Firstly, to determine the chemical profiling of E Se tea extracts, UHPLC-ESI-HRMS analysis was conducted. Secondly, Sprague-Dawley male rats were used to establish the AFLD animal model by feeding with high-fat/alcohol diet. The animals were treated with E Se tea extracts for 12 weeks. Serum parameters were determined, histologic sections were prepared, and activities of enzymes related to inflammatory response and lipid metabolism imbalance were analyzed. The underlying mechanisms of E Se tea extracts alleviating AFLD were analyzed by immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting analysis. Lastly, key targets of 11-MT against AFLD were verified through molecular docking.

RESULTS

In this study, seven main compounds were confirmed or tentatively identified in E Se tea extracts by UHPLC-ESI-HRMS. The results revealed that both the extracts could reverse histopathological steatotic alternation of the liver and reduced the activity of liver damage markers (ALT, AST). E Se tea extracts mitigated oxidative stress by inhibiting CYP2E1 protein and lipid peroxidation parameters (MDA), but enhancing the endogenous antioxidants (CAT, GSH, SOD). Moreover, E Se tea extracts ameliorated inflammation by restraining the activation of NF-κB, consequently releasing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, COX-2 and iNOS). Subsequently, E Se tea extracts reduced hepatocyte apoptosis by increasing capase-9, caspase-3 and Bax protein expression but decreasing Bcl-2 protein expression. Furthermore, E Se tea extracts improved metabolism imbalance by stimulating AMPK/SREBP1/FAS and PPAR-α/CPT1 signaling pathway by regulating lipid metabolism parameters (TC, TG, HDL-C, LHD-C). Furthermore, molecular docking results indicated that 7 chemical constituents of E Se tea extracts had strong docking affinity with 4 key target proteins (AMPK, PPAR-α, NF-кB and Caspase-9).

CONCLUSION

E Se tea ameliorated AFLD through ameliorating inflammatory response, apoptosis, and lipid metabolism imbalance.

Effect of different types of oil intake on the blood index and the intestinal flora of rats

Dietary fat is an important part of human diet and has a close relationship with human health. However, it is still unclear how gut microbiota in adolescent responds to dietary fats at a normal dose. In this study, fat-free group (BC) was used as blank control group, we explored blood index and gut microbiota structure in growing rat(aged 1 months) after feeding a normal dose of 16.9% stewed lard(SL), refined lard(RL), fish oil(FO) and soybean oil(SO) for 6 weeks, respectively. The results showed that compared with RL group, SL group showed reduced fasting blood sugar and blood lipid levels and improved nutrient absorption capacity of the intestine. The blood indexes of glucose (Glu), total cholesterol (TC) and total triglyceride (TG) in FO treatment group were relatively low. The abundance of Bacteroidetes in the BC group decreased, and the abundance of Firmicutes increased. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio of the FO group was relatively low, and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio of the SL group and the SO group was lower than that of the RL group. The abundance of Bacteroidaceae in the SL group was increased. Research results showed that fat-free diets will increase the risk of obesity to a certain extent; compared with refined lard, stewed lard, soybean oil and fish oil can reduce the risk of obesity to a certain extent. The present study could find that the addition and types of dietary fat will affect the abundance and diversity of rat intestinal flora, and provide some information for nutritional evaluation about these dietary lipids.

Elemicin exposure induced aberrant lipid metabolism via modulation of gut microbiota in mice

Elemicin (Ele) is a constituent of natural alkenylbenzene present in many foods and herbs. Ele exposure could induce hepatomegaly and hepatosteatosis. However, the role of gut microbiota in Ele-induced hepatotoxicity remains unclear. Here, the mice were treated with 200 mg/kg/day of Ele for 4 weeks with or without depletion of gut microbiota by antibiotics cocktail treatment. The mice treated with Ele showed enlargement of liver and slight hepatosteatosis, accompanied by higher levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG). Ele could also shift the structure of fecal microbiota and increase the richness. Functional prediction of the microbiota revealed the enrichment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease pathway upon Ele exposure. Compared with control group, Patescibacteria and Epsilonbacteraeota were significantly enriched at the phylum level upon Ele treatment. A total of 20 genera were significant with respect specifically to Ele exposure, including decreased Alistipes and elevated Ruminiclostridium_9 and Gordonibacter. Among them, 13 retained significant associations with ALT and TG by Spearman correlation test, 4 were correlated with AST. Further MaAsLin analysis revealed that ALT was associated with 4 differentially abundant genera, such as Alistipes and Ruminiclostridium_9 and Gordonibacter. In addition, only Alistipes was significantly correlated with serum TG. Intriguingly, depletion of the microbiota significantly attenuated hepatosteatosis, restore increased ALT, AST and TG and inhibit the expression of genes involved in de novo lipogenesis and adipocyte differentiation, such as Fasn, ADIPOQ and leptin. Collectively, depletion of gut microbiota protected against Ele induced aberrant lipid metabolism in mice.

A Predictive Model Based on the Gut Microbiota Improves the Diagnostic Effect in Patients With Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant hepatic tumor with a poor prognosis, which needs early diagnosis urgently. The gut microbiota has been shown to play a crucial role in the progression of liver cancer. Here, we explored a gut microbiota model covering genera Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia, Faecalibacterium, and Ruminococcus_1 (B-F-R) for CCA early diagnosis. A case-control study was conducted to enroll 53 CCA patients, 47 cholelithiasis patients, and 40 healthy controls. The feces samples and clinical information of participants were collected in the same period. The gut microbiota and its diversity of individuals were accessed with 16S rDNA sequencing, and the gut microbiota profile was evaluated according to microbiota diversity. Finally, four enriched genera in the CCA group (genera Bacteroides, Muribaculaceae_unclassified, Muribaculum, and Alistipes) and eight enriched genera in the cholelithiasis group (genera Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, Agathobacter, Ruminococcus_gnavus_group, Faecalibacterium, Subdoligranulum, Collinsella, Escherichia-Shigella) constitute an overall different microbial community composition (P = 0.001). The B-F-R genera model with better diagnostic value than carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) was identified by random forest and Statistical Analysis of Metagenomic Profiles (STAMP) to distinguish CCA patients from healthy controls [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.973, 95% CI = 0.932–1.0]. Moreover, the correlative analysis found that genera Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia were positively correlated with body mass index (BMI). The significantly different microbiomes between cholelithiasis and CCA were found via principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe), and Venn diagram and LEfSe were utilized to identify four genera by comparing microbial compositions among patients with malignant obstructive jaundice (MOJ-Y) or not (MOJ-N). In brief, our findings suggest that gut microbiota vary from benign and malignant hepatobiliary diseases to healthy people and provide evidence supporting gut microbiota to be a non-invasive biomarker for the early diagnosis of CCA.

Daily Dose of Bovine Lactoferrin Prevents Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury and Death in Male Mice by Regulating Hepatic Alcohol Metabolism and Modulating Gut Microbiota

SCOPE

Lactoferrin (Lf) possess a protective potential to liver, but whether it can prevent alcoholic liver injury (ALI) remains unclear.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Four groups of male C57BL/6J mice are fed with different diets, namely, AIN-93G diet for control (CON) and ethanol (EtOH) groups, and AIN-93G diet with 0.4% and 4% casein replaced by Lf for low-dose Lf (LLf) and high-dose Lf (HLf) groups, respectively. ALI is induced by giving 20% ethanol ad libitum combined with four "binges". Lf can remarkably decrease EtOH-induced mortality. Lf promotes aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) expression and suppressing cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) overexpression, resulting in the reduced hepatic superoxide and inflammation levels, which ultimately leads to the hepatic injury alleviation. However, HLf increases acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase protein levels, which suggests that excessive intake may weaken the beneficial effects of Lf. Moreover, LLf increases the relative abundances of Akkermansia and Lactobacillus. Additionally, the study shows that Lf likely exerts action in its digestive product forms rather than intact Lf molecular in normal condition.

CONCLUSION

LLf can ameliorate ALI, which is associated with the regulation of hepatic alcohol metabolism and the modulation of gut microbiota. However, excessive Lf intake may result in a diminished benefit.

Apple Polyphenol Extract Improves High-Fat Diet-Induced Hepatic Steatosis by Regulating Bile Acid Synthesis and Gut Microbiota in C57BL/6 Male Mice

Our previous study showed that apple polyphenol extract (APE) ameliorated high-fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis in C57BL/6 mice by targeting the LKB1/AMPK pathway; to investigate whether other mechanisms are involved in APE induction of improved hepatic steatosis, especially the roles of bile acid (BA) metabolism and gut microbiota, we conducted this study. Thirty-three C57BL/6 male mice were fed with high-fat diet for 12 weeks and concomitantly treated with sterilized water (CON) or 125 or 500 mg/(kg·bw·day) APE (low-dose APE, LAP; high-dose APE, HAP) by intragastric administration. APE treatment decreased total fecal BA contents, especially fecal primary BA levels, mainly including cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, and muricholic acid. An upregulated hepatic Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) protein level and downregulated protein levels of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP27A1) were observed after APE treatment, which resulted in the suppressed BA synthesis. Meanwhile, APE had no significant effects on mucosal injury and FXR expression in the jejunum. APE regulated the diversity of gut microbiota and microbiota composition, characterized by significantly increased relative abundance of Akkermansia and decreased relative abundance of Lactobacillus. Furthermore, APE might affect the reverse cholesterol transport in the ileum, evidenced by the changed mRNA levels of NPC1-like intracellular cholesterol transporter 1 (Npc1l1), liver X receptor (Lxr), ATP binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (Abca1), and ATP binding cassette subfamily G member 1 (Abcg1). However, APE did not affect the dihydroxylation and taurine metabolism of BA. The correlation analysis deduced no obvious interactions between BA and gut microbiota. In summary, APE, especially a high dose of APE, could alleviate hepatic steatosis, and the mechanisms were associated with inhibiting BA synthesis and modulating gut microbiota.