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Abstract
BackgroundIncreasing evidence suggest that the gut microbiota plays an important role in liver pathology after acute alcohol intake. The aim of our study was to investigate the roles played by commensal bacteria in alcohol-induced liver injury and in the dysbiosis caused by alcohol intake in germ-free mice, as well as the possibility of protection against alcohol-induced injuries in animals fed a high-fiber diet. For these purposes, germ-free and conventional mice were submitted to acute alcohol intake, consisting of administration of ethanol in their drinking water for 7 days, with a higher dose of alcohol administered on day 7.ResultsThere was no liver injury after alcohol consumption, and there was less neutrophil infiltration and lower pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (CXCL-1/KC and interleukin (IL)-6) in the liver in germ-free mice compared with alcohol-fed conventional mice. Additionally, conventionalization of germ-free mice with intestinal contents from alcohol-fed conventional mice induced injury and inflammation in both the liver and the intestine, suggesting that alcohol intake successively caused a perturbation of the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis) and liver injury. Finally, previous treatment with a high-fiber diet decreased liver injury and gut permeability in alcohol-fed conventional mice.ConclusionsIn conclusion, the results of the present study provide evidence that the gut microbiota plays an important role in alcohol-induced liver injury, apparently through dysbiosis of the intestinal microbial ecosystem caused by alcohol intake. Furthermore, treatment with a high-fiber diet can counteract hepatocyte pathology and gut leakage and thus could be a promising therapeutic option.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-014-0240-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Increasing evidence suggest that the gut microbiota plays an important role in liver pathology after acute alcohol intake
Germ-free mice show reduced liver pathology after alcohol administration compared with conventional mice Lipid accumulation in the liver is an important characteristic of hepatic pathology that is known as steatosis
We observed that germ-free mice that were subjected to alcohol treatment showed no altered liver lipid content nine hours after the high dose of alcohol was administered on day 7
Summary
Increasing evidence suggest that the gut microbiota plays an important role in liver pathology after acute alcohol intake. The aim of our study was to investigate the roles played by commensal bacteria in alcohol-induced liver injury and in the dysbiosis caused by alcohol intake in germ-free mice, as well as the possibility of protection against alcohol-induced injuries in animals fed a high-fiber diet. A high level of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is found in the blood of patients translocate from the gut to the liver, they interact with TLR4 on Küpffer cells, leading to production of TNF-α and oxidative stress, which cause hepatocellular damage [3] Another factor that contributes to the severity of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is the infiltration of the liver by neutrophils. Prebiotic and high-fiber diets are several of the possible ways to intervene in the intestinal microbial ecosystem
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