Association of gut microbiota and glucose metabolism in children with disparate degrees of adiposity

Abstract

Summary Objective To investigate the characteristics of gut microbiota in children with disparate degrees of adiposity, and analyze the association between gut microbiota, glucose metabolism indicators, and inflammatory factors. Methods Clinical data were examined in 89 Chinese children. Children with a body fat percentage ≥ 30% were diagnosed as obese, and ≥ 35% in males and ≥ 40% in females were further defined as severe obesity. The composition of gut microbiota was determined by 16S rDNA‐based metagenomics. Results The study population (9.75 ± 1.92‐year‐old) was characterized as normal weight (n = 29), mild obesity (n = 27) and severe obesity (n = 33) groups. Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis found that compared to the severe obesity group, subjects with mild obesity had more prevalent members of the phylum Fusobacteria, the genus Alistipes, and fewer members of genus Granulicatella and Clostridium (p < 0.05). For subjects with mild obesity, Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that fasting plasma glucose positively correlated with species A. indistinctus, A. putredinis, and negatively correlated with species Ruminococcus gnavus; LBP negatively correlated with species Clostridium hathewayi, and Blautia producta. For subjects with severe obesity, oral glucose tolerance test 2 h plasma glucose (OGTT2HPG) negatively correlated with the phylum Synergistetes, genus Pyramidobacter, species Veillonella parvula, P. piscolens, and positively correlated with species B. producta, INS and HOMA‐IR negatively correlated with the genus Haemophilus, species H. parainfluenzae, lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein (LBP) negatively correlated with the phylum Actinobacteria, genus Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and species B. longum (all p < 0.05). Phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states 2 (PICRUSt2) analysis discerned that the glucose metabolism pathway, gluconeogenesis I was curtailed in the severe obesity group. Conclusion The gut microbiota could favourably compensate for glucose metabolism in children with obesity. Genus Haemophilus and Bifidobacterium longum may influence glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in children with severe obesity.

The Ethanol-Producing Enterocloster bolteae and Limosilactobacillus fermentum are enriched in Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

“…2), two of which (Lactilactobacillus casei and Phascolarctobacterium feacium) were known to be consistently associated with health [21,22]). Interestingly, Alistipes obesi, a species previously discovered using the culturomics approach in our center, was the most [23] enriched in controls (8/10 vs 3/14, p = 0.003651, test: Mid-P exact) and has recently been associated with health [24].…”

Increased fecal ethanol and enriched ethanol-producing gut bacteria Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Enterocloster bolteae, Mediterraneibacter gnavus and Streptococcus mutans in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

“…Similarly, among the four significantly increased species in controls, three species were specific to the group (not detected in the 14 cases, Figure 2 ), two of which, Lactilactobacillus casei and Phascolarctobacterium feacium , were known to be consistently associated with health ( Wu et al., 2017 ; Martens et al., 2022 ). Interestingly, Alistipes obesi (renamed Alistipes communis ), a species previously discovered using the culturomics approach in our center ( Hugon et al., 2013 ), was the most enriched in controls (3/14 vs 8/10, p= 0.006) and has recently been associated with health ( Yuan et al., 2023 ).…”

Exploring causal effects of gut microbiota and metabolites on body fat percentage using two‐sample Mendelian randomization

“…A high‐fat diet was associated with low levels of Actinobacteria, indicating that body fat can influence the abundance 33 . In childhood obesity, the p_Actinobacteria are negatively correlated with fasting plasma glucose, but excess fasting plasma glucose can be converted to body fat 34 . Therefore, Actinobacteria may participate in glucose metabolism and influence changes in body fat content.…”

“…33 In childhood obesity, the p_Actinobacteria are negatively correlated with fasting plasma glucose, but excess fasting plasma glucose can be converted to body fat. 34 Therefore, Actinobacteria may participate in glucose metabolism and influence changes in body fat content. The results of this study are consistent with the aforementioned findings, as a decreased relative abundance of Actinobacteria was causally linked to the risk of BFP, indicating its detrimental effect on obesity.…”