Background Studies had shown many diseases affect the stability of human microbiota, but how this relates to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has not been well understood. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the regulation of BPH on gut microbiota composition and metabonomics. Methods We analyzed gut samples from rats with BPH and healthy control rats, the gut microbiota composition and metabonomics were detected by 16S rDNA sequencing and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Results High-throughput sequencing results showed that gut microbiota beta-diversity increased (P < 0.01) in the BPH group vs. control group. Muribaculaceae (P < 0.01), Turicibacteraceae (P < 0.05), Turicibacter (P < 0.01) and Coprococcus (P < 0.01) were significantly decreased in the BPH group, whereas that of Mollicutes (P < 0.05) and Prevotella (P < 0.05) were significantly increased compared with the control group. Despite profound interindividual variability, the levels of several predominant genera were different. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences in several bacteria. BPH group vs. control group: Firmicutes (52.30% vs. 57.29%, P > 0.05), Bacteroidetes (46.54% vs. 41.64%, P > 0.05), Clostridia (50.89% vs. 54.66%, P > 0.05), Ruminococcaceae (25.67% vs. 20.56%, P > 0.05). LC–MS/MS of intestinal contents revealed that differential metabolites were mainly involved in cellular processes, environmental information processing, metabolism and organismal systems. The most important pathways were global and overview maps, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, digestive system and endocrine system. Through enrichment analysis, we found that the differential metabolites were significantly enriched in metabolic pathways, steroid hormone biosynthesis, ovarian steroidogenesis, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids and bile secretion. Pearson correlation analysis (R = 0.94) showed that there was a strong correlation between Prevotellaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Turicibacteraceae, Bifidobacteriaceae and differential metabolites. Conclusion Our findings suggested an association between the gut microbiota and BPH, but the causal relationship between the two groups is unclear. Thus, further studies are warranted to elucidate the potential mechanisms and causal relationships between BPH and gut microbiota.

ObjectivesPeriodontitis affects the progression of many diseases, while its detailed mechanism remains unclear. This study hopes to provide new ideas for exploring its mechanism by analyzing the gut microbiota and fecal metabolic characteristics of experimental periodontitis rats.MethodsA total of 10 rats were randomly divided into ligature-induced experimental periodontitis (EP) group and healthy control group. After 4 weeks of the experiment, the feces of all rats were collected for sequencing through 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing technology and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS).Results16S rDNA sequencing results showed that the β-diversity of gut microbiota was significantly different between the EP and control group, and the levels of dominant genera were different. Compared with the control group, Ruminococcus, Escherichia, and Roseburia were significantly enriched in EP, and Coprococcus, Turicibacter, Lachnospira were significantly decreased. Correlation analysis showed that Roseburia exhibited the highest correlation within the genus. Of 3,488 qualitative metabolites, 164 metabolites were upregulated and 362 metabolites were downregulated in EP. Enrichment analysis showed that periodontitis significantly changed 45 positive/negative ion metabolic pathways. Five KEGG pathways, protein digestion and absorption, tyrosine metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, niacin and nicotinamide metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation, are enriched in both the microbiome and metabolome. Correlation analysis showed that the genera with significant differences in periodontitis were usually significantly correlated with more metabolites, such as Roseburia, Lachnospira, Escherichia, Turicibacter, and Ruminococcus. The genera with the same changing trend tended to have a similar correlation with some certain metabolites. In addition, vitamin D2 and protoporphyrin IX have the most significant correlations with microorganisms.ConclusionOur study reveals that periodontitis alters gut microbiota and fecal metabolites. The correlation analysis of microbiota and metabolome provides a deeper understanding of periodontitis, and also provides a direction for the study of periodontitis affecting other diseases.