Gender-Based Differences in Gut Microbiota Composition in Response to Anxiety and Stress in Shooting and Archery Athletes.

Recent human and animal studies have found associations between gut microbiota composition and serum levels of sex hormones, indicating that they could be an important factor in shaping the microbiota. However, little is known about the effect of regular hormonal fluctuations over the menstrual cycle or CHC-related changes of hormone levels on gut microbiota structure, diversity and dynamics. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of CHCs on human gut microbiota composition. The effect of CHC pill intake on gut microbiota composition was studied in a group of 7 healthy pre-menopausal women using the CHC pill, compared to the control group of 9 age-matched healthy women that have not used hormonal contraceptives in the six months prior the start of the study. By analyzing the gut microbiota composition in both groups during one menstrual cycle, we found that CHC usage is associated with a minor decrease in gut microbiota diversity and differences in the abundance of several bacterial taxa. These results call for further investigation of the mechanisms underlying hormonal and hormonal contraceptive-related changes of the gut microbiota and the potential implications of these changes for women's health. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Altered gut microbiome associated with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease in Chinese children

SummaryAimsAnesthesia and surgery can cause delirium‐like symptoms postoperatively. Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota is a physiological regulator of the brain. Herein, we investigated whether gut microbiota plays a role in postoperative delirium (POD).MethodsMice were separated into non‐POD and POD phenotypes after abdominal surgery by applying hierarchical clustering analysis to behavioral tests. Fecal samples were collected, and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was performed to detect differences in gut microbiota composition among sham, non‐POD, and POD mice. Fecal bacteria from non‐POD and POD mice were transplanted into antibiotics‐induced pseudo‐germ‐free mice to investigate the effects on behaviors.Resultsα‐diversity and β‐diversity indicated differences in gut microbiota composition between the non‐POD and POD mice. At the phylum level, the non‐POD mice had significantly higher levels of Tenericutes, which were not detected in the POD mice. At the class level, levels of Gammaproteobacteria were higher in the POD mice, whereas the non‐POD mice had significantly higher levels of Mollicutes, which were not detected in the POD mice. A total of 20 gut bacteria differed significantly between the POD and non‐POD mice. Interestingly, the pseudo‐germ‐free mice showed abnormal behaviors prior to transplant. The pseudo‐germ‐free mice that received fecal bacteria transplants from non‐POD mice but not from POD mice showed improvements in behaviors.ConclusionsAbnormal gut microbiota composition after abdominal surgery may contribute to the development of POD. A therapeutic strategy that targets gut microbiota could provide a novel alterative for POD treatment.

Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Associated with Persistent Fatigue in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Survivors

Associations Between Physical Activity and Gut Microbiota Composition in Adults With Overweight and Obesity

There are many factors associated with chronic pain, including changes in the nervous and musculoskeletal systems and so on. Recently, it has become clear that the gut microbiota (GM) influences these factors, and there are many reports of GM dysbiosis in patients with chronic pain. However, the relationship between pain and GM remains unclear. Our previous study reported that defecation status, which reflects GM composition, was associated with pain intensity and that this relationship was different for each pain site. Our study investigated the association between pain site and the GM composition of feces in chronic pain patients. The subjects were 136 patients with chronic pain and 125healthy controls. Patients were classified into four groups, whole body (WB) pain, lower back and lower extremity (LL) pain, headache, and upper back and upper extremity pain, based on the site of pain, and we investigated differences in GM taxonomy groups compared with healthy subject. Chronic pain patients had a lower alpha diversity (effect size=0.16, p=0.02). But each pain site group did not differ in alpha diversity. WB pain patients showed higher Eggerthellaceae (LDA=3.09, p<0.01) and lower Halomonas (LDA =-2.72, p<0.01). LL pain patients had increased Fusobacterium and Sellimonas (LDA=4.09,3.03 p<0.01, 0.01) but reduced Halomonas (LDA=-2.59, p<0.01), and other key taxa. WB and LL patients may have GM compositions different from healthy controls, but larger studies are needed to confirm this.

Recently, increased attention has been drawn to the composition of the intestinal microbiota and its possible role in metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, potential variation in gut microbiota composition across ethnic groups is rarely considered despite observed unequal prevalence for these diseases. Our objective was therefore to study the gut microbiota composition across health, metabolic syndrome and T2DM in a multi-ethnic population residing in the same geographical area. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on fecal samples from 3926 participants to the HELIUS cohort (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), representing 6 ethnic groups (Dutch, Ghanaians, Moroccans, Turks, Surinamese of either African or South-Asian descent). Included participants completed a questionnaire and underwent a physical examination and overnight fasted blood sampling. Gut microbiota composition was compared across metabolic status (diabetes with and without metformin use, metabolic syndrome and its subsequent components, health) and ethnicities using Wilcoxon-Mann-Withney tests and logistic regressions. Overall, the gut microbiota alpha-diversity (richness, Shannon index and phylogenetic diversity) decreased with worsening of the metabolic state (comparing health to metabolic syndrome to T2DM) but this was only partially reproduced in ethnic-specific analyses. In line, a lower alpha-diversity was found in relation to all metabolic syndrome components as well as in T2DM subjects using metformin compared to non-users. Alterations, mainly decreased abundances, were also observed at the genus level (many Clostridiales) in metabolic syndrome subjects and more strongly in T2DM subjects with differences across ethnic groups. In particular, we observed decreased abundances of members of the Peptostreptococcaceae family and of Turicibacter and an increased abundance of a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family. Our data highlight several compositional differences in the gut microbiota of individuals with metabolic syndrome or T2DM. These features, confirming prior observations, give some insights into potential key intestinal bacteria related to a worsening of metabolic state. Our results also underscore possible ethnic-specific profiles associated with these microbiota alterations that should be further explored.

Microbiota Phylogenic Analysis Revealed Decreased Abundance of Faecalibacterium Prausnitzii, an Anti-Inflammatory Commensal Bacterium, in Patients with Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

To investigate the gut microbiota distribution and its functions in children with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). A total of 135 children were enrolled in the study, including 102 children with ARFID and 33 healthy children. Fecal samples were analyzed to explore differences in gut microbiota composition and diversity and functional differences between the ARFID and healthy control (HC) groups via 16S rDNA and metagenomic sequencing. The gut microbiota composition and diversity in children with ARFID were different from those in heathy children, but there is no difference in the composition and diversity of gut microbiota between children at the age of 3–6 and 7–12 with ARFID. At the phylum level, the most abundant microbes in the two groups identified by 16S rDNA and metagenomic sequencing were the same. At the genus level, the abundance of Bacteroides was higher in the ARFID group (P > 0.05); however, different from the result of 16SrDNA sequencing, metagenomic sequencing showed that the abundance of Bacteroides in the ARFID group was significantly higher than that in the HC group (P = 0.041). At the species level, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lachnospira eligens were the most abundant taxa in the ARFID group, and Prevotella copri, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, and Ruminococcus gnavus were the top three microbial taxa in the HC group; there were no statistically significant differences between the abundance of these microbial taxa in the two groups. LefSe analysis indicated a greater abundance of the order Enterobacterales and its corresponding family Enterobacteriaceae, the family Bacteroidaceae and corresponding genus Bacteroides, the species Bacteroides vulgatus in ARFID group, while the abundance of the phylum Actinobacteriota and its corresponding class Actinobacteria , the order Bifidobacteriales and corresponding family Bifidobacteriaceae, the genus Bifidobacterium were enriched in the HC group. There were no statistically significant differences in the Chao1, Shannon and Simpson indices between the Y1 and Y2 groups (P = 0.1, P = 0.06, P = 0.06). At the phylum level, Bacillota, Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota were the most abundant taxa in both groups, but there were no statistically significant differences among the abundance of these bacteria (P = 0.958, P = 0.456, P = 0.473, P = 0.065). At the genus level, Faecalibacterium was more abundant in the Y2 group than in the Y1 group, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.037). The KEGG annotation results showed no significant difference in gut microbiota function between children with ARFID and healthy children; however, GT26 was significantly enriched in children with ARFID based on the CAZy database. The most abundant antibiotic resistance genes in the ARFID group were the vanT, tetQ, adeF, ermF genes, and the abundance of macrolide resistance genes in the ARFID group was significantly higher than that in the HC group (P = 0.041). Compared with healthy children, children with ARFID have a different distribution of the gut microbiota and functional genes. This indicates that the gut microbiome might play an important role in the pathogenesis of ARFID.Clinical trial registration: ChiCTR2300074759

Surveys of humans from around the world have revealed differences in gut microbiota composition among geographically separated populations. But because humans from the same regions often share common ancestry as well as dietary and cultural habits, most studies have not been able to differentiate among the effects of heritable factors and external factors on the composition of the gut microbiota. Here we discuss how the analysis of gut microbial communities of chimpanzees residing in Gombe Stream National Park has provided an unprecedented opportunity to measure the effects of external factors while controlling for heritable factors. The differences in gut microbiota composition between separated host populations of chimpanzees are due almost entirely to external factors, with the contribution of heritable factors to intraspecific variation in gut microbiota composition being too small to detect. The dominant influence of external factors in generating differences among the gut microbiota of our closest relatives lends promise to the possibility of manipulating the composition of the gut microbiome within human hosts. These results highlight the need for controlled studies that isolate the roles of specific external factors, such as diet, cultural practices and geography, in generating differences in the gut microbiota composition.

Important health disparities are observed in the prevalence of obesity and associated non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) among ethnic groups. Yet, the underlying factors accounting for these disparities remain poorly understood. Fructose has been widely proposed as a potential mediator of these NCDs, given that hepatic fructose catabolism can result in deleterious metabolic effects, including insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. Moreover, the fermentation of fructose by the gut microbiota can produce metabolites such as ethanol and acetate, both which serve as potential substrates for de novo lipogenesis (DNL) and could therefore contribute to the development of these metabolic conditions. Significant inter-ethnic differences in gut microbiota composition have been observed. Moreover, fructose consumption varies across ethnic groups, and fructose intake has been demonstrated to significantly alter gut microbiota composition, which can influence its fermenting properties and metabolic effects. Therefore, ethnic differences in gut microbiota composition, which may be influenced by variations in fructose consumption, could contribute to the observed health disparities. This review provides an overview of the complex interactions between host and microbial fructose catabolism, the role of ethnicity in shaping these metabolic processes and their impact on host health. Understanding these interactions could provide insights into the mechanisms driving ethnic health disparities to improve personalized nutrition strategies. KEY POINTS: Dietary fructose consumption has increased substantially over recent decades, which has been associated with the rising prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Pronounced disparities among different ethnic groups in NCD prevalence and dietary fructose consumption underscore the need to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of fructose catabolism and its health effects. Together with the well-known toxic effects of hepatic fructose catabolism, emerging evidence highlights a role for the small intestinal microbiota in fermenting sugars like fructose into various bacterial products with potential deleterious metabolic effects. There are significant ethnic differences in gut microbiota composition that, combined with varying fructose consumption, could mediate the observed health disparities. To comprehensively understand the role of the gut microbiota in mediating fructose-induced adverse metabolic effects, future research should focus on the small intestinal microbiota. Future research on fructose - microbiota - host interactions should account for ethnic differences in dietary habits and microbial composition to elucidate the potential role of the gut microbiota in driving the mentioned health disparities.

Simple SummaryCaptivity is a common conservation method for endangered animals. However, a growing number of recent studies have shown that some animals in captivity might be in sub-health condition. The gut microbiota has been described as a complex, interactive internal system that has effects on diseases of the host with many interactions, and the occurrence of certain diseases is accompanied by changes and disorder of gut microbiota. We used16S rRNA sequencing technology and a mathematical model to find differences in gut microbiota composition and assembly processes. The results show that captivity might be unfavorable for white-lipped deer by shifting the gut microbiota composition and assembly process.White-lipped deer (Cervus albirostris) is a nationally protected wild animal species in China, as well as a unique and endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Captivity may alleviate the pressure from poaching and contribute to the repopulation and conservation of the population in the wild. The gut microbiota is described as a complex, interactive internal system that has effects on diseases of the host, with many interactions. However, the influence of captivity on the composition and assembly process of gut microbiota in white-lipped deer is unclear. This study applied high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing technology to determine differences in the gut microbiota between captive (CW) and wild (WW) white-lipped deer. We used the null model, neutral community model, and niche width to identify whether captivity affects the composition and assembly process of gut microbiota. The results show that WW has a higher number of Firmicutes and a lower number of Bacteroidetes compared with CW at the phylum level, and it has more opportunistic pathogens and specific decomposition bacteria at the genus level. Principal coordinate analysis also indicated significant differences in the composition and function of gut microbiota in CW and WW. Moreover, the results reveal that captivity shifts the ecological assembly process of gut microbiota by raising the contribution of deterministic processes. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that captivity might potentially have an unfavorable effect on white-lipped deer by continually exerting selective pressure.

IntroductionThe human gut microbiota plays a crucial role in mental health through the gut-brain axis, impacting central nervous system functions, behavior, mood, and anxiety. Consequently, it is implicated in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. This study aimed to assess and compare the gut microbiota profiles and populations of individuals with bipolar disorder and healthy individuals in Iran. MethodsFecal samples were collected from 60 participants, including 30 bipolar patients (BPs) and 30 healthy controls (HCs), following rigorous entry criteria. Real-time quantitative PCR was utilized to evaluate the abundance of 10 bacterial genera/species and five bacterial phyla.ResultsNotably, Actinobacteria and Lactobacillus exhibited the greatest fold change in BPs compared to HCs at the phylum and genus level, respectively, among the bacteria with significant population differences. Ruminococcus emerged as the most abundant genus in both groups, while Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes showed the highest abundance in BPs and HCs, respectively, at the phylum level. Importantly, our investigation revealed a lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, potentially serving as a health indicator, in HCs compared to BPs.ConclusionThis study marks the first examination of an Iranian population and provides compelling evidence of significant differences in gut microbiota composition between BPs and HCs, suggesting a potential link between brain functions and the gut microbial profile and population.

Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining host health, with dietary fibers being key modulators. This study evaluates the effects of porang glucomannan hydrolysate (PH), a novel prebiotic, on gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in rats. For 21 days, rats were fed diets containing cellulose (CF), a fiber-free diet (NF), porang glucomannan (PG), PH, or inulin (IN). Gut microbiota composition was assessed using Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (RISA) and 16S rRNA sequencing, while SCFA levels were measured via gas chromatography. The findings revealed differences in gut microbiota composition at the phylum level: the CF, NF, and PG groups were predominantly composed of Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria, whereas the PH and IN groups were mainly dominated by Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Actinobacteriota. Notably, at the genus level, SCFA-producing bacterial groups, such as Lactobacillus, Allobaculum, Bifidobacterium, and Blautia, were identified only in the PH and IN groups. This was further corroborated by the higher SCFA concentrations found in the PH and IN groups compared to the other treatment groups. These findings suggest that the inclusion of PH in rats’ diets positively affects the modulation of gut microbiota and increases SCFA concentrations in the cecum, showing effects similar to those of inulin, a commercial prebiotic. Consequently, PH holds the potential as a functional food that supports gastrointestinal health. HIGHLIGHTS The hydrolysis process of porang glucomannan (PG) significantly altered the composition of gut microbiota in rats. Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (RISA) and beta diversity measurements indicated that the group receiving PG formed a distinct cluster compared to the group given porang glucomannan hydrolysate (PH). The gut microbiota in the PH group closely resembled that of rats fed with inulin (IN). The PH group had a greater abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Allobaculum, Bifidobacterium, and Blautia, which were absent in the PG group. Consequently, SCFA levels were significantly higher in the PH group than in the PG group. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Decision letter for "Gender‐Based Differences in Gut Microbiota Composition in Response to Anxiety and Stress in Shooting and Archery Athletes"