Milk Shows Potential as CT Contrast Agent

Abstract

of these two bacteria may influence weight, the researchers performed biochemical and genomic analyses of the gut microbes in obese and lean mice. They found that the microbial genomes of the bacteria found in obese mice were rich in genes encoding enzymes that break down otherwise indigestible food. “Our results indicate that the obese microbiome has an increased capacity to harvest energy from the diet,” the authors wrote. Theyalso foundthat this traitcouldbe transferred, as germ-free mice receiving microbes fromthegutsofobesemiceexperiencedasignificantlygreater increase in totalbody fat (withoutany increase in foodconsumption) than those receiving microbes from lean mice. “These results identifythegutmicrobiotaasanadditional contributing factor to the pathophysiology of obesity,” the authors concluded. Therefore,gutmicrobialgenomesmight be considered as a set of genetic factors that, togetherwiththehostgenotypeand lifestyle, contribute to the development of obesity. Whilethefindingscouldinfluencehow researchersandcliniciansviewthecauses ofobesityandsuggest thatmanipulation of thegutmicrobialenvironmentmayofferanapproachto treatingobesity,many questions remain. For example, it is unclear whether microbial influences have a meaningful impact on body weight in the human population and are contributing to the current rise in the incidence ofobesity. Inobesemice, theeffectof“increasedcaloricintakeandreducedcaloric expenditureismanytimeslargerthanthe small difference in extraction that could beproducedbydifferences in themicrobiota,”wroteMatejBajzerandRandySeeley,PhD,of theUniversityofCincinnati, in Ohio, in an accompanying New and Viewsarticle (BajzerMandSeeleyR. Nature. 2006;444:1009-1010).