Desulfovibrio vulgaris, a potent acetic acid-producing bacterium, attenuates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice

Abstract

The emerging evidence supports the use of prebiotics like herb-derived polysaccharides for treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by modulating gut microbiome. The present study was initiated on the microbiota-dependent anti-NAFLD effect of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) extracted from Astragalus mongholicus Bunge in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of APS on NAFLD formation remain poorly understood.Co-housing experiment was used to assess the microbiota dependent anti-NAFLD effect of APS. Then, targeted metabolomics and metagenomics were adopted for determining short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bacteria that were specifically enriched by APS. Further in vitro experiment was carried out to test the capacity of SCFAs-producing of identified bacterium. Finally, the anti-NAFLD efficacy of identified bacterium was tested in HFD-fed mice.Our results first demonstrated the anti-NAFLD effect of APS in HFD-fed mice and the contribution of gut microbiota. Moreover, our results indicated that SCFAs, predominantly acetic acid were elevated in APS-supplemented mice and ex vivo experiment. Metagenomics revealed that D. vulgaris from Desulfovibrio genus was not only enriched by APS, but also a potent generator of acetic acid, which showed significant anti-NAFLD effects in HFD-fed mice. In addition, D. vulgaris modulated the hepatic gene expression pattern of lipids metabolism, particularly suppressed hepatic fatty acid synthase (FASN) and CD36 protein expression.Our results demonstrate that APS enriched D. vulgaris is effective on attenuating hepatic steatosis possibly through producing acetic acid, and modulation on hepatic lipids metabolism in mice. Further studies are warranted to explore the long-term impacts of D. vulgaris on host metabolism and the underlying mechanism.

Nutrient Intake and Gut Microbial Genera Changes after a 4-Week Placebo Controlled Galacto-Oligosaccharides Intervention in Young Females

“…We showed that in the group receiving GOS supplementation increasing Bifidobacterium abundance was related to reduced carbohydrate intake and increasing Desulfovibrio to increased carbohydrate intake. Desulfovibrio bacteria are generally associated with clinical intestinal disease [58], although certain species have been found to beneficial in non-alcoholic fatty acid liver disease [59]. The compositional abundances of Desulfovibrio in these data are low, and occurrence in the GOS group were greater than in the placebo group.…”

Panax quinquefolius Polysaccharides Ameliorate Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhoea Induced by Lincomycin Hydrochloride in Rats via the MAPK Signaling Pathways

“…Polysaccharides are usually found in plants and can regulate the gut microbiota in different conditions, thereby playing a key role in many chronic diseases [ 32 , 33 ]. Astragalus mongholicus polysaccharides were shown to alleviate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease through gut microbiota regulation in mice [ 34 ]. Phellinus linteus polysaccharide extracts could improve insulin resistance, ameliorate intestinal dysbiosis, and help maintain intestinal barrier function in a diabetic rat model by regulating gut microbiota composition [ 35 ].…”

Structural and Functional Modulation of Gut Microbiota by Jiangzhi Granules during the Amelioration of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

“…As functional validation, we also detected a decreased level of H 2 S and the LBP in the HJZ group [ 53 ]. Interestingly, a recent study has found that an acetic acid-producing bacteria Desulfovibrio vulgaris from Desulfovibrionaceae also showed anti-NAFLD effects [ 54 ], which highlight that we should emphasize on function evaluation instead of structural description of gut microbiota. Furthermore, we also found JZG could increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as S24_7 and Lachnospiraceae.…”