Fecal Microbiota, Lactic Acid and Short Chain Fatty Levels of Infants Following Rotavirus Infection Revealed by Illumina Miseq High-Throughput Sequencing and HPLC Method

Abstract

Background: Rotavirus (RV) is one of the major causes of acute gastroenteritis in infants. It is indispensable to demonstrate the relationship between the diversity and richness of gut microbiota and RV infection using more accurate and effective technology. Objectives: To investigate the differences in fecal microbiota, lactic acid, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels between rotaviralinduced diarrhea (RD) infants and healthy (H) infants. Methods: The infants comprised of 25 infants aged few days to six months, who were in good health (n = 12) or diagnosed with rotavirus (n = 13). Fecal matter was analyzed with Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing technique targeting the 16s rRNA gene V3-V4 region. Lactic acids and SCFAs were measured by the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. Results: Compared to H infants, the fecal samples in RD infants had lower Shannon diversity index and the bacteria richness (P < 0.05). A higher proportion of Proteobacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and Klebsiella, and lower abundances of Actinobacteria and Knoellia (P < 0.05) were detected in fecal samples of RD infants. The total SCFAs content of fecal samples showed no distinction between RD and H infants, yet lower levels of lactic acid were observed in fecal samples of RD infants. Conclusions: Rotaviral infection in infants led to an alteration of fecal microbiota and lactic acid concentration compared with healthy infants. Fecal microbiota and metabolite may advance the understanding and treatment of RD.

Pathogenetic role of intestinal microflora in carbohydrate malabsorption syndrome in early-aged children with rotavirus infection

“…The results of our study have confirmed the previous data and proved that dysbiotic changes in the intestine develop in all patients in the early stages of RVI, which is expressed in a decrease in absolute concentrations of all saccharolytic microflora metabolites: C2-C4 and a significant decrease in AI. Our results are confirmed by modern literature data about low Shannon's and Simpson's indices in young children with RVI, which characterize the species diversity of the intestinal microbiota [16]. The degree of the intestinal microflora metabolic and structural disorders is correlated with an increase in the amount of undigested sugars in the faeces, which, according to the literature [4,5], is the pathogenetic basis for the osmotic diarrhea development in RVI.…”

“…However, significant differences in the results of SCFA detection have been identified by some researchers. Thus, L. LI, D. Huang showed a lowering of only the level of lactic acid (Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus meta bolites) in infants with RVI in the absence of changes in total pool of SCFA and C2-C4 concentrations [16]. Other researchers emphasized a significant decrease in the total amount of volatile acids and absolute concentrations of each of them (C2-C5) in the acute period of RVI [7,17], demonstrating a sharp decrease in anaerobic metabolism of oligosaccharides as a result of impaired intestinal microbiocinosis.…”

“…The osmotic load in the colon is increased about eightfold by fermentation of lactose to SCFA [8]. However, it is believed that SCFA are rapidly absorbed through the colon mucous membrane (their absorption rate is 6.1-12.6 μ mol/cm 2 x g), only 2-4 % of volatile acids is excreted in the feces [9,15,16]. From the literature review, published by B. Misselwitz, M. Butter et al, it is known, that osmotic diarrhea occurs only in case of insufficient fermentation of undigested lactose or its metabolites (glucose, galactose) by intestinal microflora or inefficient removal of terminal carbohydrate metabolites (SCFA) due to low absorption capacity of the colon.…”

“…In addition, the presence of intestinal microbiota structural and functional changes [16] and their role in increasing the severity of RVI clinical manifestations, intestinal microbiota are noted in a number of modern literature sources studying the intestinal microbiocinosis state in children with rotavirus gastroenteritis [4,7,17]. However, significant differences in the results of SCFA detection have been identified by some researchers.…”

Rotavirus-Induced Diarrhea Changes the Proteins, Amino Acids and Fatty Acids Profiles in Fecal Samples of the Infants

“…Some researchers suggested that the lower levels of butyrate and propionate in; feces of CD and ulcerative colitis (UC) diarrhea patients should be the consequence of an inflammation-driven intestinal dysbiosis (11). Further, De et al found the depletion of butyric acid in feces of was the dominant SCFA (35), while, in current study, only butyric acid was detected in the feces of RD and H infants who were between 4 and 9 months old. In addition, there was no significant difference in the levels of these five SC-FAs in the feces between 0-6-month-old infants with and without RD (35), on the contrary, the level of butyric acid in RD infants was significantly reduced compared to H infants in this study.…”