Effects of High-Fat Diet on the Gut Microbiota of Renalase Gene Knockout Mice

Abstract

Metabolic diseases caused by gene and unhealthy living habits are increasing, which seriously threaten the life of people worldwide. Moreover, the microbiome has been shown to play an active role in the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases. However, reliable evidence on renalase gene (Rnls), as a common gene related to metabolic diseases, is still lacking with regard to the influence on the microbiome. Hence, we investigated the effect of a normal diet (ND) and a high-fat diet (HFD) on the gut microbiota of Rnls knockout (Rnls−/−) and wild-type (Rnls+/+) mice. At the end of the 8-week experiment, DNA samples were extracted from fresh feces, and the composition of microbiota was profiled. The species in Rnls+/+-ND group were Bifidobacterium pseudolongum and Lactobacillus reuteri. Conversely, the species in Rnls−/−-ND group belonged to the genera Lactobacillus and Turicibacter. The HFD changed the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes; while the bacteria in the Rnls+/+-HFD and Rnls−/−-HFD groups were different. Overall, this study not only revealed the composition of microbiota in Rnls−/− mice, but also indicated that Rnls and the bacteria related to Rnls may be new candidates in the prevention and diagnosis of metabolic diseases at an early stage.

Modulation of the Gut Microbiota with Prebiotics and Antimicrobial Agents from Pleurotus ostreatus Mushroom

“…The most common phyla in the gut microbiota are Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes [111,117]. The ratio between them plays a significant role in the risk of obesity, aggravating intestinal dysfunction, and systemic injury [118]. The Firmicutes phylum has genetic characteristics that contribute to the fermentation of dietary fibers and thus to the health of the host [119].…”

Coexistence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Blood Renalase Concentration

“…The Fang et al study on the effect of the gut microbiota on the development of obesity described the association of renalase gene knockout in mice on a normal diet with the presence of a high abundance of Firmicutes bacteria, suggesting that renalase gene knockout promotes the development of obesity or diabetes through changes in the proportions of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. The results of their study strongly suggest that deletion of the gene for renalase affects the composition of the microbiota and the abundance of certain bacteria in mice, and although it is pointed out that further studies are needed to describe the mechanisms in human models, it can be assumed that mouse models provide a good tool to study the pathogenesis and treatment of metabolic diseases, as they show genetic similarity to humans [34].…”