Effect of coffee or coffee components on gut microbiome and short-chain fatty acids in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome

Kazuchika Nishitsuji,Yuki Morimoto,Syunsuke Watanabe,Hirohisa Ogawa,Hitomi Umemoto,Jinzhong Xiao,Koichi Inoue,Koichi Tsuneyama,Takaaki Tsunematsu,Hiroyasu Akatsu,Ryosuke Nagatomo

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-34571-9

Abstract

We previously showed that male Tsumura Suzuki obese diabetes (TSOD) mice, a spontaneous mouse model of metabolic syndrome, manifested gut dysbiosis and subsequent disruption of the type and quantity of plasma short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and daily coffee intake prevented nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in this mouse model. Here, we present a preliminary study on whether coffee and its major components, caffeine and chlorogenic acid, would affect the gut dysbiosis and the disrupted plasma SCFA profile of TSOD mice, which could lead to improvement in the liver pathology of these mice. Three mice per group were used. Daily intake of coffee or its components for 16 wk prevented liver lobular inflammation without improving obesity in TSOD mice. Coffee and its components did not repair the altered levels of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and an increased abundance of Firmicutes in TSOD mice but rather caused additional changes in bacteria in six genera. However, caffeine and chlorogenic acid partially improved the disrupted plasma SCFA profile in TSOD mice, although coffee had no effects. Whether these alterations in the gut microbiome and the plasma SCFA profile might affect the liver pathology of TSOD mice may deserve further investigation.

Highlights

Metabolic syndrome is a disorder that encompasses a group of symptoms that are related to obesity and metabolic modifications, and raises the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus[1,2]
We focused on caffeine and chlorogenic acid as major bioactive coffee components, and we hypothesized that coffee or its major components may improve the hepatic pathology in Tsumura Suzuki obese diabetes (TSOD) mice by repairing the gut dysbiosis and disrupted plasma short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) profile
We reported that the percentages of several bacteria at the family and genus levels were altered in TSOD mice, a spontaneous model of metabolic syndrome, which led us to conclude that TSOD mice had their own microbial signature, called the TSOD microbiome

Summary

Introduction

Metabolic syndrome is a disorder that encompasses a group of symptoms that are related to obesity and metabolic modifications, and raises the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus[1,2]. The gut microbiota plays a critical role in the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome via regulating the types and quantity of SCFAs. we previously reported that metabolic syndrome-affected TSOD mice demonstrated gut dysbiosis and subsequent disruption of the plasma SCFA profile[31]. We focused on caffeine and chlorogenic acid as major bioactive coffee components, and we hypothesized that coffee or its major components may improve the hepatic pathology in TSOD mice by repairing the gut dysbiosis and disrupted plasma SCFA profile

Methods

Results

Conclusion