Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) may be fatal for its victims and is an important long-term public health problem. The complicated medical procedures and diet restrictions to which patients with CKD are subjected alter the gut microbiome in an adverse manner, favoring over-accumulation of proteolytic bacteria that produce ammonia and other toxic substances. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of GA on 1) the composition of the gut microbiome and 2) on plasma levels of short-chain fatty acids. Male Wister rats were divided into four groups (six each) and treated for 4 weeks based on the following: control, dietary adenine (0.75%, w/w) to induce CKD, GA in the drinking water (15%, w/v), and both adenine and GA. At the end of the treatment period, plasma, urine, and fecal samples were collected for determination of several biochemical indicators of renal function and plasma levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as well as characterization of the gut microbiome. Dietary adenine induced the typical signs of CKD, i.e., loss of body weight and impairment of renal function, while GA alleviated these effects. The intestine of the rats with CKD contained an elevated abundance of pathogenic Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia but lowered proportions of Lactobacillaceae belonging to the Firmicutes phylum. Plasma levels of propionate and butyrate were lowered by dietary adenine and restored by GA. A negative association (Spearman’s p-value ≤ 0.01, r ≤ 0.5) was observed between Firmicutes and plasma creatinine, urea, urine N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and albumin. Phylum Proteobacteria on the other hand was positively associated with these markers while Phylum Bacteroidetes was positively associated with plasma SCFAs. In conclusion, the adverse changes in the composition of the gut microbiome, plasma levels of SCFAs, and biochemical indicators of renal function observed in the rats with CKD induced by dietary adenine were mitigated by GA. These findings are indicative of a link between uremia and the composition of the microbiome in connection with this disease. Dietary administration of GA to patients with CKD may improve their renal function via modulating the composition of their microbiome—a finding that certainly warrants further investigation.
Highlights
Chronic kidney disease (CKD), a long-term public health problem associated with considerable individual and societal burden, is estimated at present to have a global prevalence of 11–13% (Hill et al, 2016)
The values presented are means ± SEM (n 6). aSignificant difference (p < 0.05) of the Control vs. CKD, gum acacia (GA), and CKD-GA groups. bSignificant difference (p < 0.05) of the CKD vs. GA and CKD-GA groups. These rats consumed more water and urinated more than the controls. Both of these effects were reversed in part by the addition of GA to the adenine-containing diet as well
We evaluated the effect of GA supplementation on renal function, the plasma profile of SCFA, and gut microbiome of rats with CKD induced by dietary adenine
Summary
Chronic kidney disease (CKD), a long-term public health problem associated with considerable individual and societal burden, is estimated at present to have a global prevalence of 11–13% (Hill et al, 2016). CKD increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and uremia and reduces life expectancy (Ali et al, 2018). Uremia and the retention of other toxins profoundly modify the barrier function and promote inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract in patients with CKD. Both uremia and medical treatment of this condition can change the biochemical and microbial milieu in the gut (Vaziri et al, 2013). The impaired gut function and microbial dysbiosis in combination can elevate intestinal permeability and promote endotoxemia and systemic inflammation, thereby accelerating the progression of CKD to end stage renal disease (ESRD) (Vaziri, 2012; Hobby et al, 2019)
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