Perturbation Of Gut Microbiome Research Articles

The gut microbiome dysbiosis and its potential role in psoriatic arthritis

In past decades, gut microbiome perturbations appeared to play a role in the development of several autoimmune diseases. Microbiome dysbiosis together with genetic, lifestyle and/or diet factors may composedly affect the etiology of autoimmune diseases. Studies about the role of the gut microbiome in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a chronic autoimmune disease of the joint, are limited. We propose that intestinal dysbiosis-associated microbiota or gut microbiota-derived products might reach the joint by translocation to the circulation leading to T-cell activation and inflammation that underline PsA. Future studies on the intestinal microbiome associated with psoriatic arthritis can provide new targets for diagnostic and treatment strategies. Recognizing the PsA ‘early warning phases’ could offer new windows of opportunities regarding prevention.

Gut Microbiome Perturbations Induced by Bacterial Infection Affect Arsenic Biotransformation

Exposure to arsenic affects large human populations worldwide and has been associated with a long list of human diseases, including skin, bladder, lung, and liver cancers, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders. In addition, there are large individual differences in susceptibility to arsenic-induced diseases, which are frequently associated with different patterns of arsenic metabolism. Several underlying mechanisms, such as genetic polymorphisms and epigenetics, have been proposed, as these factors closely impact the individuals' capacity to metabolize arsenic. In this context, the role of the gut microbiome in directly metabolizing arsenic and triggering systemic responses in diverse organs raises the possibility that perturbations of the gut microbial communities affect the spectrum of metabolized arsenic species and subsequent toxicological effects. In this study, we used an animal model with an altered gut microbiome induced by bacterial infection, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry-based arsenic speciation to examine the effect of gut microbiome perturbations on the biotransformation of arsenic. Metagenomics sequencing revealed that bacterial infection significantly perturbed the gut microbiome composition in C57BL/6 mice, which in turn resulted in altered spectra of arsenic metabolites in urine, with inorganic arsenic species and methylated and thiolated arsenic being perturbed. These data clearly illustrated that gut microbiome phenotypes significantly affected arsenic metabolic reactions, including reduction, methylation, and thiolation. These findings improve our understanding of how infectious diseases and environmental exposure interact and may also provide novel insight regarding the gut microbiome composition as a new risk factor of individual susceptibility to environmental chemicals.

Gut Microbiome Perturbations Induced by Bacterial Infection Affect Arsenic Biotransformation

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Environmental Health Sciences Grant P30 ES002109)