Determination Of Gut Microbiota Research Articles

Effects of music therapy on anxiety in patients with cancer: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionAlthough music therapy (MT) has been found to reduce anxiety in patients with cancer and delay tumour progression to some extent, its mechanism of action has not been determined. MT...

Taurine: A Maternally Derived Nutrient Linking Mother and Offspring.

Mammals can obtain taurine from food and synthesize it from sulfur-containing amino acids. Mammalian fetuses and infants have little ability to synthesize taurine. Therefore, they are dependent on taurine given from mothers either via the placenta or via breast milk. Many lines of evidence demonstrate that maternally derived taurine is essential for offspring development, shaping various traits in adults. Various environmental factors, including maternal obesity, preeclampsia, and undernutrition, can affect the efficacy of taurine transfer via either the placenta or breast milk. Thus, maternally derived taurine during the perinatal period can influence the offspring’s development and even determine health and disease later in life. In this review, I will discuss the biological function of taurine during development and the regulatory mechanisms of taurine transport from mother to offspring. I also refer to the possible environmental factors affecting taurine functions in mother-offspring bonding during perinatal periods. The possible functions of taurine as a determinant of gut microbiota and in the context of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis will also be discussed.

Gut Microbiome in Older Men: Findings From the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study

There is great interest in identifying determinants and health consequences of the human gut microbiota, the dynamic population of microorganisms living in the human digestive tract. However, the role of gut microbiota in the health of older adults has received considerably less attention than that among younger or middle-aged adults. Findings among younger age groups are not necessarily generalizable to older adults due to differences in lifestyle, health conditions, and medication usage. Therefore, understanding the role of gut microbial communities in aging-related phenotypes is an emerging gerontology research priority. To fill this significant knowledge gap, the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study Microbiome Ancillary Study was conducted in 2014-2016, coinciding with the parent study’s 4th clinic visit. A total of 912 men with mean aged 84.2 (standard deviation=4.0) years provided fecal samples, and 16S ribosomal RNA target gene sequencing was used to characterize the gut microbiota composition. In this symposium, we present findings on the first research projects completed with these data. Dr. Lisa Langsetmo will characterize the association between objectively measured physical activity and the composition of gut microbiota. Dr. James Shikany will present dietary patterns, another lifestyle determinant of gut microbiota. Dr. Deborah Kado will focus on a specific micronutrient, vitamin D, and its metabolites as another factor that may influence the gut microbiota in older men. Lastly, Dr. Michelle Shardell will overview the analytical challenges of microbiome research and illustrate an approach to quantify the potential role of gut microbiota composition and weight in older men.

A Health-Conscious Food Pattern Is Associated with Prediabetes and Gut Microbiota in the Malmö Offspring Study

ABSTRACTBackgroundDiet is a determinant of gut microbiota. Both diet and gut microbiota have been linked to metabolic diseases.ObjectiveWe aimed to examine data-driven food patterns in relation to the prevalence of prediabetes and gut microbiota composition and food pattern–associated bacteria in relation to prediabetes.MethodsFood patterns were extracted using principal component analysis in 1726 individuals (aged 18–71 y, 55% women, mean BMI = 25.5 kg/m2) without diabetes from the population-based Malmö Offspring Study. The gut (fecal) microbiota was analyzed by sequencing the 16S ribosomal RNA gene (V1–V3 region). Prediabetes classification was based on fasting glucose ≥6.0 mmol/L and/or glycated hemoglobin ≥42 mmol/L at baseline and/or type 2 diabetes diagnosis during follow-up (0–3.8 y). Logistic regression was used to investigate cross-sectional associations with prediabetes, and the general linear model to examine associations between food patterns and bacterial genera.ResultsTwo food patterns, the Health-conscious and the Sugar and High-Fat Dairy patterns, were identified. Adherence to the Health-conscious pattern was associated with a lower prevalence of prediabetes (OR comparing highest quintile with lowest: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.92; P-trend = 0.03) and with the abundance of several gut bacterial genera, of which the most robust findings were with a higher abundance of Roseburia and Lachnospira and with a lower abundance of Eubacterium. Roseburia was also associated with a lower prevalence of prediabetes (OR comparing highest quintile with lowest: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.92; P-trend = 0.01) and the association between the Health-conscious pattern and prediabetes was attenuated after adjustment for abundance of Roseburia and BMI. Adherence to the Sugar and High-Fat Dairy pattern was associated with a higher prevalence of prediabetes in women (P-trend across food pattern quintiles = 0.03).ConclusionsIn this Swedish population-based study, a Health-conscious food pattern showed an inverse association with the prevalence of prediabetes. Potential underlying explanations may involve links between healthy diet and BMI, as well as gut microbiota, especially a higher abundance of Roseburia.