Do interactions between gut ecology and environmental chemicals contribute to obesity and diabetes?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gut microbiota are important factors in obesity and diabetes, yet little is known about their role in the toxicodynamics of environmental chemicals, including those recently found to be obesogenic and diabetogenic.

Objectives

We integrated evidence that independently links gut ecology and environmental chemicals to obesity and diabetes, providing a framework for suggesting how these environmental factors may interact with these diseases, and identified future research needs.

Methods

We examined studies with germ-free or antibiotic-treated laboratory animals, and human studies that evaluated how dietary influences and microbial changes affected obesity and diabetes. Strengths and weaknesses of studies evaluating how environmental chemical exposures may affec

SUBMITTER: Snedeker SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3295356 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature