Project description:Opioids such as morphine have many beneficial properties as analgesics, however, opioids may induce multiple adverse gastrointestinal symptoms. We have recently demonstrated that morphine treatment results in significant disruption in gut barrier function leading to increased translocation of gut commensal bacteria. However, it is unclear how opioids modulate the gut homeostasis. By using a mouse model of morphine treatment, we studied effects of morphine treatment on gut microbiome. We characterized phylogenetic profiles of gut microbes, and found a significant shift in the gut microbiome and increase of pathogenic bacteria following morphine treatment when compared to placebo. In the present study, wild type mice (C57BL/6J) were implanted with placebo, morphine pellets subcutaneously. Fecal matter were taken for bacterial 16s rDNA sequencing analysis at day 3 post treatment. A scatter plot based on an unweighted UniFrac distance matrics obtained from the sequences at OTU level with 97% similarity showed a distinct clustering of the community composition between the morphine and placebo treated groups. By using the chao1 index to evaluate alpha diversity (that is diversity within a group) and using unweighted UniFrac distance to evaluate beta diversity (that is diversity between groups, comparing microbial community based on compositional structures), we found that morphine treatment results in a significant decrease in alpha diversity and shift in fecal microbiome at day 3 post treatment compared to placebo treatment. Taxonomical analysis showed that morphine treatment results in a significant increase of potential pathogenic bacteria. Our study shed light on effects of morphine on the gut microbiome, and its role in the gut homeostasis.
Project description:Background: Probiotic-like bacteria treatment has been described to be associated with gut microbiota modifications. Goal: To decipher if the effects of the tested probiotic-like bacteria are due to the bacteria itself or due to the effects of the bacteria on the gut microbiota. Methodology: In this study, gut microbiota has been analyzed from feces samples of subjects with metabolic syndrome and treated with one of the 2 tested probiotic-like bacteria or with the placebo during 3months.
Project description:In this study, we transferred gut microbiota of SS-like autoimmune dry eye disease model mice to conventional B6 mice (NOD-FMT). After the transfer, NOD-FMT mice experienced a dramatic change in the gut microbiomes and showed clinicopathological features of SS, including increased corneal fluorescein staining score, decreased tear production, elevated levels of IL-6 mRNA, decreased levels of MUC5AC mRNA encoding mucin. Additionally, we observed that NOD-FMT mice shared stereotypic B cell receptor (BCR) clonotypes with a much higher frequency compared to control group. B cell clones encoding these stereotypic BCR clonotypes developed and expanded locally in the lacrimal gland, and achieved systemic presence in certain clonotypes.
Project description:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is rapidly becoming the most common liver disease worldwide, yet the pathogenesis of NAFLD is only partially understood. Here, we investigated the role of the gut bacteria in NAFLD by stimulating the gut bacteria via feeding mice the fermentable dietary fiber guar gum and suppressing the gut bacteria via chronic oral administration of antibiotics. Guar gum feeding profoundly altered the gut microbiota composition, in parallel with reduced diet-induced obesity and improved glucose tolerance. Strikingly, despite reducing adipose tissue mass and inflammation, guar gum enhanced hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, concurrent with markedly elevated plasma and hepatic bile acid levels. Consistent with a role of elevated bile acids in the liver phenotype, treatment of mice with taurocholic acid stimulated hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. In contrast to guar gum, chronic oral administration of antibiotics effectively suppressed the gut bacteria, decreased portal secondary bile acid levels, and attenuated hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. Neither guar gum or antibiotics influenced plasma lipopolysaccharide levels. In conclusion, our data indicate a causal link between changes in gut microbiota and hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in a mouse model of NAFLD, possibly via alterations in bile acids.
Project description:Acetic acid bacteria are obligately aerobic alphaproteobacteria that have a unique ability to incompletely oxidize various alcohols and sugars to organic acids. The ability of these bacteria to incompletely oxidize ethanol to acetate has been historically utilized for vinegar production. The mechanism of switching between incomplete oxidation and assimilatory oxidation and the control of energy and carbon metabolism in acetic acid bacteria are not fully understood. To understand the physiology and molecular biology of acetic acid bacteria better, we determined the draft genome sequence of Acetobacter aceti NBRC 14818, which is the type strain of the genus. Based on this draft genome sequence, the transcriptome profiles in A. aceti cells grown on ethanol, acetate, glucose, or mix of ethanol and glucose was determined by using NimbleGen Prokaryotic Expression array (4x72K).