Adhesive Bifidobacterium Induced Changes in Cecal Microbiome Alleviated Constipation in Mice

Linlin Wang,Wei Chen,Hao Zhang,Gang Wang,Shumao Cui,Yuan-kun Lee,Cailing Chen,Jianxin Zhao

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.01721

Abstract

Constipation, which seriously affects living quality of people, is a common gastrointestinal disease. The engagement of the intestinal flora in the development of symptoms of constipation has been frequently hypothesized. In this study, constipated mice induced by loperamide were used to investige the alleviation of constipation by Bifidobacteria. Bifidobacteria was sorted out according to their adhesive properties into two groups. One group combined multiple strains of Bifidobacterium with adhesion property (CMB1), the other combined multiple strains of Bifidobacterium without adhesion property (CMB2). It was found that CMB1 can alleviate constipation more efficiently by improving the water, propionate and butyrate content in feces, and overall gastrointestinal transit time. Meanwhile, from the perspective of fecal microbiota, CMB1 alleviated constipation mainly by increasing the relative abundances of genera (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Prevotella) associated with rapid bowel movement. From the perspective of cecal microbiota, CMB1 alleviated constipation mainly by increasing the relative abundances of genera Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, unclassified S24-7, Dorea, Ruminococcus, Coprococcus, and Rikenella, and decreasing the relative abundances of genera Oscillospira, Odoribacter and Unclassified F16, which are associated with methane production and colonic transit. Overall, changes of microbiota in caecum by CMB1 reflect the stage of constipation in mice more comprehensively than that in feces.

Highlights

Constipation is defined as infrequent or hard to pass bowel movements
With the intake of loperamide, the fecal water content showed a downward trend in all groups, which indicated that loperamide induced constipation in mice
The results showed that CMB1 significantly improved the water content of feces, the small intestinal transit rate and the first black stool defecation time, whereas the CMB2 had no effect on constipation

Summary

Introduction

Constipation is defined as infrequent or hard to pass bowel movements. It has a high incidence (2–36%) worldwide and complicated etiology (Rao et al, 2016). The main drugs used to treat constipation are osmotic and secretory laxatives (Zhang et al, 2015). These therapies are susceptible to drug resistance to varying degrees and some lack efficacy. Recent studies have revealed that constipation is related to imbalance in the intestinal microbiota, which mainly involve reduced levels of Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus and an increase in pathogens (Chen et al, 2016). Supplementation with Bifidobacteria (Peter et al, 2006; Urita et al, 2015) or lactobacilli (Drouault et al, 2008; Williams et al, 2009; Yoon et al, 2015), either alone or combined, could prevent or treat constipation (Bu et al, 2007; Tabbers et al, 2011)

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Discussion

Conclusion