Abstract
The incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) is increasing worldwide, and it has become a growing problem in Asia. Previous research on UC has focused on serum, plasma, urine, gut tissues, and fecal metabolic profiling, but a comprehensive investigation into the correlation between the severity of colitis and changes in liver metabolism is still lacking. Since the liver and gut exchange nutrients and metabolites through a complex network, intestinal diseases can affect both the liver and other organs. In the present study, concentration-dependent dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis was employed to examine changes in liver metabolism using a proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR)-and ultra-performance liquid chromatography time of flight mass spectroscopy (UPLC-TOF MS)-based metabolomics study. Using the multivariate statistical analysis method orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), changes in metabolites depending on the DSS dose could be clearly distinguished. Specifically, hepatic metabolites involved in one-carbon metabolism, carnitine-related metabolism, and nucleotide synthesis were found to be affected by intestinal inflammation, implying the existence of a metabolic connection between the gut and liver. We are currently investigating the significance of this metabolic condition in UC.
Highlights
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract [1]
There was no significant difference in water intake
In order to identify the direct link between liver metabolism and the intestinal barrier function, we examined various metabolites in the liver of mice with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced acute colitis, which is a well-established mouse model of ulcerative colitis (UC) and has features similar to human UC [37,38]
Summary
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract [1]. The incidence of IBD is increasing in Asians because of the westernization of their lifestyle and changes in environmental factors [3]. IBD is considered to affect liver homeostasis, and the occurrence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been found in IBD patients [6,7,8]. Crohn’s disease (CD) patients, characterized by a loss of epithelial barrier, as well as chronic inflammation in the intestine, display enhanced bacterial colonization in portal blood and liver, further emphasizing the fact that disruption of the intestinal barrier increases the hepatic exposure of intestinal microbes [10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
