Summary Fecal transfer from healthy donors is being explored as a microbiome modality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to affect the microbiome. Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have been shown to have an altered gut microbiome. Here, we unexpectedly found that transfer of feces harvested at peak disease from the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of […]
Abstract The capacity of the colon to absorb microbially-produced amino acids (AAs) and the underlying mechanisms of AA transport are incompletely defined. We measured the profile of 16 fecal AAs along the rat ceco-colonic axis and compared unidirectional absorptive AA fluxes across mucosal tissues isolated from the rat jejunum, cecum, and proximal colon using an […]
Background Changes in the gut microbiota have been implicated in mood and cognition. In rodents, supplementation with certain bacteria have been shown to alleviate adverse effects of stress on gut microbiota composition and behaviour, but little is known of how the performance of different strains compare to each other. We took a systematic approach to […]
Significance This study advances our appreciation and understanding of the role of colon dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. In a human pilot study of 266 individuals, greater epigenomic (methylation) DNA alterations correlated with CRC and microbiota composition. Beyond this correlative evidence, when germ-free mice received fresh feces from CRC patients and their healthy […]
Significance People with multiple sclerosis have a microbiota distinct from healthy controls, and there is growing interest in how these differences might contribute to the onset and progression of CNS autoimmunity. However, the impact that the microbiota may also have on the endogenous regeneration of myelin—remyelination—has not yet been explored. Here we show that inflammatory […]
Hidden benefits of a fecal transplant Our gut microbiota evolves as we age, yet its effects on host physiology are not clearly understood. Kundu et al. now attempt to elucidate these effects by transplanting the gut microbiota of either young or old donor mice into young germ-free recipient mice. They report that young germ-free mice […]
ABSTRACT Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is crucial for gastrointestinal tract (GIT) health. VIP sustains GIT homeostasis through maintenance of the intestinal epithelial barrier and acts as a potent anti-inflammatory mediator that contributes to gut bacterial tolerance. Based on these biological functions by VIP, we hypothesized that its deficiency would alter gut microbial ecology. To this […]
Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is crucial for gastrointestinal tract (GIT) health. VIP sustains GIT homeostasis through maintenance of the intestinal epithelial barrier and acts as a potent anti-inflammatory mediator that contributes to gut bacterial tolerance. Based on these biological functions by VIP, we hypothesized that its deficiency would alter gut microbial ecology. To this end, […]
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Watermelon intake has demonstrated effects on blood pressure regulation along with other health benefits. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that intake of whole watermelon and products made from watermelon rind (WR) and watermelon skin (WS) would remediate metabolic complications in C57BL/6 J male mice fed a diet modeling a Western-style diet. METHODS Ten-week-old male C57BL/6 […]
ABSTRACT Recently, increasing evidence has suggested the association between gut dysbiosis and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression, yet the role of gut microbiota in AD pathogenesis remains obscure. Herein, we provide a potential mechanistic link between gut microbiota dysbiosis and neuroinflammation in AD progression. Using AD mouse models, we discovered that, during AD progression, the alteration […]
ABSTRACT How the microbiota modulate immune functions remains poorly understood. Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are implicated in mucosal homeostasis and absent in germ-free mice. Here, we show that commensal bacteria govern murine MAIT intrathymic development, as MAIT cells did not recirculate to the thymus. MAIT development required RibD expression in bacteria, indicating that production […]
ABSTRACT Multicellular organisms have co-evolved with complex consortia of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, collectively referred to as the microbiota. In mammals, changes in the composition of the microbiota can influence many physiologic processes (including development, metabolism and immune cell function) and are associated with susceptibility to multiple diseases. Alterations in the microbiota can also […]
ABSTRACT Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are often isolated from animals and people with ulcerative colitis and can be involved in the IBD development in the gut–intestine axis. The background of the research consisted of obtaining mixed cultures of SRB communities from healthy mice and mice with colitis, finding variation in the distribution of their morphology, to […]
ABSTRACT There is growing awareness within the scientific community of the strong connection between the inflammation in the intestine and the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In previous studies we developed a PD animal model exposing pup rats to permethrin (PERM) pesticide. Here, we intended to explore whether in our animal model there were changes […]
ABSTRACT H1 parvovirus (H1PV) infection in rats is of concern to the research community as infection may compromise rodent-based experiments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of H1PV infection on rat gut microbiota. Inbred Wistar rats were infected with H1PV by routine gavage and clinical signs were recorded. Gross anatomical and […]
ABSTRACT The intestinal microbiota is critical for maintaining homeostasis. Dysbiosis, an imbalance in the microbial community, contributes to the susceptibility of several diseases. Many factors are known to influence gut microbial composition, including diet. We have previously shown that fecal immunoglobulin (Ig) A levels are decreased in mice fed a diet free of aryl hydrocarbon […]
SUMMARY Infectious process even at the initial stage after aerosol infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis induced rapid changes in vaginal microbiota in mice. Rapid decrease in both the quantity and diversity of microbiota was noted, and then, partial recovery of normal flora was observed. Changes in vaginal microbiota was detected as soon as in 3-7 days […]
ABSTRACT The negative effects of data clustering due to (intra-class/spatial) correlations are well-known in statistics to interfere with interpretation and study power. Therefore, it is unclear why housing many laboratory mice (≥4), instead of one-or-two per cage, with the improper use/reporting of clustered-data statistics, abound in the literature. Among other sources of ‘artificial’ confounding, including […]
SUMMARY Environmental influences (infections and diet) strongly affect a host’s microbiota. However, host genetics may influence commensal communities, as suggested by the greater similarity between the microbiomes of identical twins compared to non-identical twins. Variability of human genomes and microbiomes complicates the understanding of polymorphic mechanisms regulating the commensal communities. Whereas animal studies allow genetic […]
ABSTRACT Synthetic gene oscillators have the potential to control timed functions and periodic gene expression in engineered cells. Such oscillators have been refined in bacteria in vitro, however, these systems have lacked the robustness and precision necessary for applications in complex in vivo environments, such as the mammalian gut. Here, we demonstrate the implementation of […]
