Gut Bifidobacteria Research Articles

Probiotics improve the neurometabolic profile of rats with chronic cholestatic liver disease

Chronic liver disease leads to neuropsychiatric complications called hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Current treatments have some limitations in their efficacy and tolerability, emphasizing the need for alternative therapies. Modulation of gut bacterial flora using probiotics is emerging as a therapeutic alternative. However, knowledge about how probiotics influence brain metabolite changes during HE is missing. In the present study, we combined the advantages of ultra-high field in vivo 1H MRS with behavioural tests to analyse whether a long-term treatment with a multistrain probiotic mixture (VIVOMIXX) in a rat model of type C HE had a positive effect on behaviour and neurometabolic changes. We showed that the prophylactic administration of this probiotic formulation led to an increase in gut Bifidobacteria and attenuated changes in locomotor activity and neurometabolic profile in a rat model of type C HE. Both the performance in behavioural tests and the neurometabolic profile of BDL + probiotic rats were improved compared to the BDL group at week 8 post-BDL. They displayed a significantly lesser increase in brain Gln, a milder decrease in brain mIns and a smaller decrease in neurotransmitter Glu than untreated animals. The clinical implications of these findings are potentially far-reaching given that probiotics are generally safe and well-tolerated by patients.

Thymol Nanoemulsion: A New Therapeutic Option for Extensively Drug Resistant Foodborne Pathogens.

Foodborne pathogens have been associated with severe and complicated diseases. Therefore, these types of infections are a concern for public health officials and food and dairy industries. Regarding the wide-spread multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis), new and alternative therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Therefore, we investigated the antimicrobial, anti-virulence, and immunostimulant activities of a stable formulation of thymol as thymol nanoemulsion in an in vivo approach. Notably, treatment with 2.25% thymol nanoemulsion led to a pronounced improvement in the body weight gain and feed conversion ratio in addition to decreases in the severity of clinical findings and mortality percentages of challenged chickens with XDR S. Enteritidis confirming its pronounced antimicrobial activities. Moreover, thymol nanoemulsion, at this dose, had protective effects through up-regulation of the protective cytokines and down-regulation of XDR S. Enteritidis sopB virulence gene and interleukins (IL)-4 and IL-10 cytokines as those hinder the host defenses. Furthermore, it enhanced the growth of gut Bifidobacteria species, which increases the strength of the immune system. For that, we suggested the therapeutic use of thymol nanoemulsion against resistant foodborne pathogens. Finally, we recommended the use of 2.25% thymol nanoemulsion as a feed additive for immunocompromised individuals as well as in the veterinary fields.

Differential structures and enterotype-like clusters of Bifidobacterium responses to probiotic fermented milk consumption across subjects using a Bifidobacterium-target procedure

The health-promoting attributes of bifidobacteria have piqued interest of researchers worldwide. However, scant published studies are available pertinent to bifidobacteria in microbiota/metagenomics datasets due to its intrinsic low abundance and limitations of detection methods. In this work, we designed a procedure to optimize the detection of the bifidobacterial population in complex biological samples with single-molecule real-time sequencing (SMRT) technology, including one primer pair designated as Bif-6 and a Bifidobacterium-specific database. The optimized procedure detected 14 bifidobacterial species/subspecies in ten human stool samples (2024 sequences per sample) and eight breast milk samples (3473 sequences per sample), respectively. Furthermore, by using the optimized procedure of SMRT, we investigated the effect of a 4-week-intervention of probiotic fermented milk (PFM; 200 g/day) on the gut bifidobacteria population of adults. The results showed that consuming PFM changed the structure and enterotype-like clusters of Bifidobacterium. After the consumption of PFM, the level of gut Bifidobacterium animalis increased significantly, replacing several originally dominating taxa in some subjects, including B. catenulatum, B. breve, and B. bifidum. On the other hand, B. adolescentis was, unaffectedly, the representative species in subjects having an original enterotype-like cluster of B. adolescentis. In conclusion, our work designed a procedure for detecting the bifidobacterial population in complex samples. By applying the currently designed procedure, we found that the PFM intervention changed the bifidobacterial enterotype-like cluster of some subjects, and such change was dependent on the basal bifidobacterial population.

Xyloglucan compounded inulin or arabinoxylan against glycometabolism disorder via different metabolic pathways: Gut microbiota and bile acid receptor effects

This study investigated the effects of xyloglucan (XG) compounded inulin and XG compounded arabinoxylan on the hypoglycemic activity of mice fed with high-fat diet (HFD). Forty male ICR/KM mice were randomly divided into four groups, namely, control group, high-fat group, XG and 4% inulin supplemented in a HFD group (HFXI), and XG and 4% arabinoxylan supplemented in a HFD group (HFXA). Results showed that XI and XA supplementation decreased serum glucose level and intestinal disaccharidase activity. XI and XA decreased the level of total bile acid (TBA) in the serum and liver. Fecal TBA excretion was increased in the HFXI group, and XA treatment decreased colon digesta TBA excretion. XI treatment activated liver farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5). Intestinal FXR and TGR5 were activated after XA supplementation. XA increased the abundance of Verrucomicrobia, promoting Akkermansia growth, whereas XI treatment increased the abundance of gut Bifidobacterium.

Intake of sucrose affects gut dysbiosis in patients with type2 diabetes.

Aims/IntroductionGut dysbiosis is generally associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the effect of habitual dietary intake on gut dysbiosis in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus has not yet been explicated. This study investigated whether alteration of the gut microbiota was influenced by dietary intake of sucrose in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Materials and MethodsIn this cross‐sectional study, 97 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 97 healthy individuals were matched by age and sex, and then, fecal samples were obtained. Next‐generation sequencing of the 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene was carried out, and functional profiles for the gut microbiota were analyzed. We selected the top 30 gut microbial genera and top 20 functional profiles for the gut microbiota specified by the weighted average difference method. The association between gut microbial genera or functional profiles and habitual dietary intake was investigated by Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, and then, clustering analysis was carried out to clarify the impact of habitual dietary intake.ResultsThe Actinobacteria phylum was highly abundant in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, whereas the Bacteroidetes phylum was less abundant. Diabetic‐type gut microbes, specifically Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium, were altered by sucrose intake at the genus level. Furthermore, sucrose intake was associated with glycolysis/gluconeogenesis in the diabetic‐type functional profiles of the gut microbiota.ConclusionsThe gut microbiota and functional profiles for the gut microbiota in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were significantly different from those in healthy individuals. Furthermore, we showed that sucrose intake was closely associated with these differences.

The First Report of Differences in Gut Microbiota Composition between Obese and Normal Weight Iranian Subjects

Background:Obesity is a complex disorder influenced by various genetic and environmental factors. It has been shown that gut microbiota, which colonizes gastrointestinal tract, has a substantial role as an environmental factor in the pathophysiology of obesity. Since the composition of gut microbiota alters with regard to different criteria, such as ethnicity, geographical location, diet, lifestyle, age, and gender, we aimed to determine F/B ratio and the abundance of important gut microbiota members, A. muciniphila, F. prausnitzii, Roseburia, Bifidobacterium, and Prevotella in Iranian obese and normal weight individuals, for the first time. Methods:In this study, 50 normal and 50 obese subjects were recruited and classified based on their BMI into normal weight and obese groups. Stool samples were collected. Following DNA extraction from the samples, qPCR was conducted based on 16s rDNA universal primers. Finally, the correlation between the bacterial abundance and obesity was analyzed by statistical analyses. Results:We observed a significant increase of F/B ratio in the obese group, compared to the normal weight group (p = 0.002). Although A. muciniphila (p = 0.039) and Bifidobacterium (p = 0.049) abundance significantly decreased, the abundance of F. prausnitzii (p = 0.046) significantly elevated with BMI increase in the studied groups. Conclusion:Owing to the importance of the gut microbiota composition in obesity development, determination and targeted restoration of gut microbiota pattern could be valuable in the control and treatment of obesity in certain populations.

Abstract P459: Milk Intake, Host LCT Genotype and Gut Bifidobacteria in Relation to Obesity: Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

Background: Previous studies in Europeans found that gut Bifidobacterium genus was elevated in lactose intolerant individuals. However, the interrelationship between milk intake, host lactase ( LCT ) genotypes and different Bifidobacteria species, and their implications for human diseases have not been well-studied. Methods: This study included 2141 participants aged 23-83 years with microbiome, genetics and 24 hour dietary recall data from the HCHS/SOL, a population-based cohort of US Hispanics/Latinos. Stool samples were analyzed by shotgun metagenomics sequencing. Results: A GWAS on Bifidobacterium genus confirmed the genome-wide significant LCT locus (rs4988235, P =3.7х10 –21 ) ( Fig A ), and 3 major Bifidobacteria species were also significantly associated with LCT ( B. longum P = 4.4х10 –17 , B. adolescentis P=2.9х10 –13 , B. bifidum P=3.1х10 –5 ). 779 adults with lactose tolerant genotype (GG) had higher milk intake but lower Bifidobacteria compared to 1372 lactose intolerant adults (AA/AG). There was a significant interaction between milk intake and LCT variant on Bifidobacterium (P int =0.0003), with a positive association between milk intake and Bifidobacterium only in lactose intolerant but not in tolerant people ( Fig B ). The association of Bifidobacterium with obesity was also modified by LCT genotype. In lactose intolerant people, higher Bifidobacterium was associated with lower BMI, waist circumference and fat mass index, whereas in tolerant people higher Bifidobacterium was associated with higher obesity measures ( Fig C ). Species-level analyses indicated that B. longum may account for the positive association with milk intake and inverse associations with obesity measures in lactose intolerant people, while other major species, B. adolescentis and B. bifidum , may contribute to the positive association with obesity measures in lactose tolerant people. Conclusion: Our data indicate that diet and LCT genotype may alter the Bifidobacterium composition in gut, with different associations with obesity.

Facilitating the Bloom of Intestinal Flora: Observing the Influence of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on Beneficial Bacteria Inhabiting the Intestinal Microbiota

Healthy human bodies are inhabited by over 100 trillion bacterial cells [1]. The study of the symbiotic relationship between humans and these unicellular organisms has become of great importance in the medical field. In fact, the pathology of many diseases involves perturbation of the intestinal flora [1]. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychotropic ingredient of cannabis, has caught the attention of healthcare researchers given its ability to increase appetite, and reduce nausea and inflammation [2]. THC has also been associated with modulating the effects arising in the endocannabinoid system (ECS), however, its ability to affect bacteria growth has not been studied [3]. This proposed experiment seeks to explore the growth and vitality of beneficial gut microbiota (Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA), Akkermansia muciniphila (AM), Bifidobacterium bifidum (BB), and Streptococcus thermophilus (ST)) upon exposure to THC [4]. Through utilizing an experimental approach, beneficial bacterial cultures will be collected to study the growth of the microorganisms incubated with THC, relative to a positive and negative control. The results of the proposed study could inform future experiments investigating the treatment of a range of diseases with cannabis. The benefits of these treatments could also be extended to improving the daily health of the general population.

Advocating an attack against severe malaria: a cost-effectiveness analysis

BackgroundA recent study found that the gut microbiota, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, have the ability to modulate the severity of malaria. The modulation of the severity of malaria is not however, the typical focal point of most widespread interventions. Thus, an essential element of information required before serious consideration of any intervention that targets reducing severe malaria incidence is a prediction of the health benefits and costs required to be cost-effective.MethodsHere, we developed a mathematical model of malaria transmission to evaluate an intervention that targets reducing severe malaria incidence. We consider intervention scenarios of a 2-, 7-, and 14-fold reduction in severe malaria incidence, based on the potential reduction in severe malaria incidence caused by gut microbiota, under entomological inoculation rates occurring in 41 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. For each intervention scenario, disability-adjusted life years averted and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were estimated using country specific data, including the reported proportions of severe malaria incidence in healthcare settings.ResultsOur results show that an intervention that targets reducing severe malaria incidence with annual costs between $23.65 to $30.26 USD per person and causes a 14-fold reduction in severe malaria incidence would be cost-effective in 15–19 countries and very cost-effective in 9–14 countries respectively. Furthermore, if model predictions are based on the distribution of gut microbiota through a freeze-dried yogurt that cost $0.20 per serving, a 2- to 14-fold reduction in severe malaria incidence would be cost-effective in 29 countries and very cost-effective in 25 countries.ConclusionOur findings indicate interventions that target severe malaria can be cost-effective, in conjunction with standard interventions, for reducing the health burden and costs attributed to malaria. While our results illustrate a stronger cost-effectiveness for greater reductions, they consistently show that even a limited reduction in severe malaria provides substantial health benefits, and could be economically viable. Therefore, we suggest that interventions that target severe malaria are worthy of consideration, and merit further empirical and clinical investigation.

Pingkui Enema Alleviates TNBS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis by Regulation of Inflammatory Factors, Gut Bifidobacterium, and Intestinal Mucosal Barrier in Rats.

Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic recurrent inflammation of the colon, and clinical outcome of UC is still unsatisfied. Pingkui enema, a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, has been safely applied for the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery in clinic for many years. However, its mechanism is still elusive. The present study is designed to investigate the effect of Pingkui enema on trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid- (TNBS-) induced ulcerative colitis (UC) and possible mechanism in rats. Methods UC was induced by intracolonic instillation of TNBS in male Sprague-Dawley rats, which were treated with different dosages of Pingkui enema (low, medium, and high) or sulfasalazine for ten days. Survival rate was calculated. A clinical disease activity score was evaluated. Histological colitis severity was analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Content of Bifidobacterium in intestinal tissue was analyzed by RT-PCR. Concentration of IL-8, IL-13, TNF-α, D-lactic acid (D-LA), and diamine oxidase (DAO) in serum and contents of adhesin and receptor of Bifidobacterium adhesion in rat intestinal mucus were measured by ELISA. Results The results showed that Pingkui enema treatment with high dosage markedly improved the survival rate compared with untreated and sulfasalazine treated groups. All dosages of Pingkui enema reduced pathological score. High dosage of Pingkui enema and sulfasalazine treatments significantly reduced the serum concentration of IL-8, TNF-α, D-LA, and DAO and markedly increased the serum concentration of IL-13. In addition, high-dose Pingkui enema and sulfasalazine treatments increased gut content of Bifidobacterium, gut mucus expressions of adhesin, and adhesin receptor of Bifidobacterium. Conclusions Pingkui enema has therapeutic effect on TNBS-induced UC, and possible mechanism may be via regulation of gut probiotics (Bifidobacterium) and inflammatory factors and protection of intestinal mucosal barrier.

Treatment with gut bifidobacteria improves hippocampal plasticity and cognitive behavior in adult healthy rats

At the present time, gut microbiota inspires great interest in the field of neuroscience as a function of its role in normal physiology and involvement in brain function. This aspect suggests a specific gut-brain pathway, mainly modulated by gut microbiota activity. Among the multiple actions controlled by microbiota at the brain level, neuronal plasticity and cognitive function represent two of the most interesting aspects of this cross-talk communication. We address the possible action of two-months implementation of gut Bifidobacteria using a mixture of three different strains (B-MIX) on hippocampal plasticity and related cognitive behavior in adult healthy Sprague Dawley rats. B-MIX treatment increases the hippocampal BDNF with a parallel gain in dendritic spines’ density of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Electrophysiological experiments revealed a significant increment of HFS-induced LTP formation on the CA1 hippocampal region in B-MIX treated rats. All these effects are accompanied by a better cognitive performance observed in B-MIX treated animals with no impairments in locomotion activity. Therefore, in adult rats, the treatment with different strains of bifidobacteria is able to markedly enhance neuronal plasticity and the CNS function influencing cognitive behavior, an effect that may suggest a potential therapeutic treatment in brain diseases associated with cognitive functions.

Analysis of the Intestinal Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium among Mongolian Adults, and Their Associated Host Factors

Objectives: To characterize gut Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and identify the factors shaping its composition, we collected fecal samples from healthy Mongolians residing in various regions of Mongolia. Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional study involving 256 relatively healthy adults between July 2018 and February 2019. Fecal samples were collected for bacterial analysis using culture method and the species of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. were determined by PCR. Results: The participants had a mean age of 38.9 ± 12.8 years. The abundance of Lactobacillus was weakly negatively correlated with grams of fats, potato, cereals foods consumed per day (r = -.20; r = -.16 and r = -.18 respectively). Significant differences in the counts of Lactobacillus were identified depending on the quantity of milk products consumed per day. In adult intestinal tracts, B. bifidum was the most common Bifidobacterium taxon at 29% (31 participants) followed by B. angulatum 13.1% (14), B. adolescentis 9.3% (10) B. catenulatum group 9.3% (10), B. longum 8.4% (9). B. lactis, B. breve, B. dentium and B. gallicum were subdominant species. Conclusion: The Lactobacillus abundance in healthy adults was higher in the region of Khangai, Eastern and Western Mongolia than other locations. The composition of Lactobacillus species varied. Significant but modest correlations were found between amounts of fiber, fats, potatoes consumed, and the amount of Lactobacillus.

Intestinal microbiota contributes to altered glucose metabolism in simulated microgravity mouse model.

Exposure to space environment induces alterations in glucose and lipid metabolism that contribute to muscular atrophy, bone loss, and cardiovascular disorders. Intestinal microbiota is also changed, but its impact on spaceflight-related metabolic disorder is not clear. We investigated the relationship between glucose metabolic changes and gut dysbiosis in a hind limb-unloading (HU) mouse model, a well-accepted ground-based spaceflight analog. Impaired body weight gain, glucose intolerance, and peripheral insulin resistance were found in 2-4-wk HU mice. Reduced abundance of gut Bifidobacterium spp. and Akkermansia muciniphila was observed within 3 d of HU. The ground-based control (Ctrl) mice that were cohoused with HU mice showed similar patterns of dysbiosis and metabolic changes. Compared with the Ctrls, higher levels of plasma LPS-binding protein and altered transcription of Tnfa and glucose metabolism-related genes in the liver were observed in HU mice. The supplementation of Bifidobacterium spp. suppressed endotoxemia and liver inflammation and improved glucose tolerance in HU mice. The results indicate a close relationship between dysbiosis and altered glucose metabolism in the HU model and also emphasize the importance of evaluating intestinal microbiota in astronauts and its effect on glucose metabolism.-Wang, Y., Zhao, W., Shi, J., Wang, J., Hao, J., Pang, X., Huang, X., Chen, X., Li, Y., Jin, R., Ge, Q. Intestinal microbiota contributes to altered glucose metabolism in simulated microgravity mouse model.

Effect of sulfated yeast beta-glucan on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in chickens

Immunosuppression is a condition that causes large economic losses in the poultry industry. To investigate the effect of sulfated yeast beta-glucan on immunosuppression, two hundred and fifty 11-day-old chickens were randomly assigned to five groups, and except for the normal control group, injected with cyclophosphamide once a day for 3 successive days. At 14 days of age, sulfated yeast beta-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae(sGSC) was orally administered at three doses to the chickens in three experimental groups for 14 days. On days 7 and 14 after the first sGSC dose, serum cytokine concentrations and peripheral lymphocyte proliferation were measured. Gut microbiota, organ index, and histopathological changes in the bursa were investigated on day 14. The results demonstrated that at 4 mg/kg, sGSC could significantly enhance the bursa index and IFN-γ and IL-6 concentrations, decrease TGF-β1 concentration, and promote lymphocyte proliferation; it could effectively decrease histopathological changes in the bursa and improve gut Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus populations in cecal digesta of chickens compared with the model control group. This indicated that sGSC could effectively alleviate immunosuppression and regulate the beneficial microbiota in the gut.

Isolation of novel gut bifidobacteria using a combination of metagenomic and cultivation approaches

Whole metagenome shotgun (WMGS) sequencing is a method that provides insights into the genomic composition and arrangement of complex microbial consortia. Here, we report how WMGS coupled with a cultivation approach allows the isolation of novel bifidobacteria from animal fecal samples. A combination of in silico analyses based on nucleotide and protein sequences facilitate the identification of genetic material belonging to putative novel species. Consequently, the prediction of metabolic properties by in silico analyses permits the identification of specific substrates that are then employed to isolate these species through a cultivation method.

Two binding proteins of the ABC transporter that confers growth of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis ATCC27673 on β-mannan possess distinct manno-oligosaccharide-binding profiles.

Human gut bifidobacteria rely on ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters for oligosaccharide uptake. Multiple oligosaccharide-specific solute-binding protein (SBP) genes are occasionally associated with a single ABC transporter, but the significance of this multiplicity remains unclear. Here, we characterize BlMnBP1 and BlMnBP2, the two SBPs associated to the β-manno-oligosaccharide (MnOS) ABC transporter in Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis. Despite similar overall specificity and preference to mannotriose (Kd ≈80nM), affinity of BlMnBP1 is up to 2570-fold higher for disaccharides than BlMnBP2. Structural analysis revealed a substitution of an asparagine that recognizes the mannosyl at position 2 in BlMnBP1, by a glycine in BlMnBP2, which affects substrate affinity. Both substitution types occur in bifidobacterial SBPs, but BlMnBP1-like variants prevail in human gut isolates. B. animalis subsp. lactis ATCC27673 showed growth on gluco and galactomannans and was able to outcompete a mannan-degrading Bacteroides ovatus strain in co-cultures, attesting the efficiency of this ABC uptake system. By contrast, a strain that lacks this transporter failed to grow on mannan. This study highlights SBP diversification as a possible strategy to modulate oligosaccharide uptake preferences of bifidobacterial ABC-transporters during adaptation to specific ecological niches. Efficient metabolism of galactomannan by distinct bifidobacteria, merits evaluating this plant glycan as a potential prebiotic.

A Robust Longitudinal Co-culture of Obligate Anaerobic Gut Microbiome With Human Intestinal Epithelium in an Anoxic-Oxic Interface-on-a-Chip

The majority of human gut microbiome is comprised of obligate anaerobic bacteria that exert essential metabolic functions in the human colon. These anaerobic gut bacteria constantly crosstalk with the colonic epithelium in a mucosal anoxic-oxic interface (AOI). However, in vitro recreation of the metabolically mismatched colonic AOI has been technically challenging. Furthermore, stable co-culture of the obligate anaerobic commensal microbiome and epithelial cells in a mechanically dynamic condition is essential for demonstrating the host-gut microbiome crosstalk. Here, we developed an anoxic-oxic interface-on-a-chip (AOI Chip) by leveraging a modified human gut-on-a-chip to demonstrate a controlled oxygen gradient in the lumen-capillary transepithelial interface by flowing anoxic and oxic culture medium at various physiological milieus. Computational simulation and experimental results revealed that the presence of the epithelial cell layer and the flow-dependent conditioning in the lumen microchannel is necessary and sufficient to create the steady-state vertical oxygen gradient in the AOI Chip. We confirmed that the created AOI does not compromise the viability, barrier function, mucin production, and the expression and localization of tight junction proteins in the 3D intestinal epithelial layer. Two obligate anaerobic commensal gut microbiome, Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Eubacterium hallii, that exert metabolic cross-feeding in vivo, were independently co-cultured with epithelial cells in the AOI Chip for up to a week without compromising any cell viability. Our new protocol for creating an AOI in a microfluidic gut-on-a-chip may enable to demonstrate the key physiological interactions of obligate anaerobic gut microbiome with the host cells associated with intestinal metabolism, homeostasis, and immune regulation.

Protective effects of α-galacto-oligosaccharides against a high-fat/western-style diet-induced metabolic abnormalities in mice.

In this study, we investigated the effects of a newly synthesized α-galacto-oligosaccharide mixture (α-GOSg), 0.5% in drinking water, on high-fat/western-style diet (HFWD)-induced metabolic abnormality in mice in a study of 13 weeks. Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) were included as a comparison. Mice treated with α-GOSg had significantly lower body weight and body fat (p < 0.05), while RFOs were less effective. Both α-GOSg and RFOs significantly reduced serum levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase and liver lipids. However, only α-GOSg significantly decreased the histopathological score for liver steatosis and downregulated hepatic fatty acid synthesis gene acetyl CoA carboxylase-α. α-GOSg also significantly reduced the content of bile acids in the small intestine and significantly increased the abundance of gut Bifidobacterium and decreased the abundance of Clostridium leptum. These actions are proposed to be key mechanisms contributing to the beneficial health effects of α-GOSg.

PO-128 Effects of 30%, 50%, 70%VO2 max treadmill exercises on gut microbiome of atherosclerotic mice

Objective To observe the dynamic changes of gut microbiome in mice before and after different intensities of treadmill exercises, and to explore the effects of different intensities of treadmill exercises on gut microbiome of atherosclerotic (AS) mice.&#x0D; Methods The 50 male ApoE-/- mice aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into 2 groups, 10 mice in the general feeding group and the other 40 mice in the AS group, which were fed with normal and high-fat diet for 4 weeks respectively. Weight and blood test were taken before and after 4 weeks feeding. The serum Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were examined by blood test in ApoE-/- mice model, and atherosclerotic disease degeneration score of adult mice was used to determine the success of modeling after 4 weeks feeding. Then two mice selected from the normal and high-fat group respectively selected to test the maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) by the reformative Bedford method, and the running platform speed and slope corresponding to 30%, 50% and 70%VO2 max were determined. The 40 AS mice were randomly divided into the model blank group, the low-intensity exercise group, the medium-intensity exercise group and the high-intensity exercise group according to their weight for 4 weeks of exercises, respectively. The low-intensity exercise group was 30% VO2 max, with a slope of 10 degrees and a speed of 10 m/min. The medium intensity exercise group was 50% VO2 max with a slope of 10 degrees and a speed of 15 m/min. The high-intensity exercise group was 70% VO2 max with a slope of 10 degrees and a speed of 20 m/min. The exercises were performed for 4 weeks, 5 days a week, 20 minutes a day. The fresh feces were collected from 5 groups of mice before and after 4 weeks treadmill exercises. The number of gut Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Firmicutes, Bifidobacterium, Verrucomicrobiaceae, Akkermansia , Escherichia coli, Collinsella and Clostridium in AS mice were analyzed by 16s sequencing. &#x0D; Results 1. The TG, TC and LDL-C were significantly increased in the blood serum of the mice after the modeling, and the HDL-C was decreased, and the atherosclerotic disease degeneration score was significantly increased in the adult mice, and the modeling was successful. 2. The different intensity treadmill exercises can increase the number of gut probiotics in mice and decrease the number of harmful bacteria. The beneficial bacteria in gut tract of AS mice with moderate intensity of 50% VO2max was observed in the experiment: Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Verrucomicrobiaceae, Akkermansia were significantly increased, P&lt;0.05. The harmful bacteria:Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli, Collinsella and Clostridium were significantly decreased, P&lt;0.05. The ratio of Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes was increased.&#x0D; Conclusions 1. High-fat diet can lead to AS in ApoE-/- mice. 2. The different intensity treadmill exercises can reduce the weight of AS mice. 3. The number and abundance of probiotics of gut microbiome of AS mice could be promoted by different intensity treadmill exercises, among which the medium intensity aerobic exercise can significantly increase the number of beneficial bacteria such Bacteroidetes, Bifidobacteria, Verrucomicrobiaceae and Akkermansia, meanwhile, the structure of gut microbiome in AS mice was improved as well.

The primary biological network of Bifidobacterium in the gut.

Bacterial interactions in the biological network affect the growth of Bifidobacterium. In the present study, five habitats were constructed by changing animals, their health statuses and their diets. In each of these habitats, different networks of Bifidobacterium were outlined through correlation analysis of the 50 most dominant microbes. Thirty-eight bacterial genera directly correlated with the growth of Bifidobacterium, including 23 genera with a positive correlation and 15 genera with a negative correlation. This study presented, to our knowledge, a new biological network of rodent gut Bifidobacterium under various representative habitats. This study shows an in vivo network of Bifidobacterium, thereby contributing to constructing an in vitro network of Bifidobacterium for further studies.