Gut microbiota: implications for radiotherapy response and radiotherapy-induced mucositis

Zhou

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

et al. 2020

The gut microbiota is important in metabolism and immune modulation, and compositional disruption of the gut microbiota population is closely associated with inflammation caused by ionizing radiation (IR). Guiqi Baizhu decoction (GQBZD) is a medicinal compound used in traditional Chinese medicine with anti-inflammatory and antioxidation effects, especially in the process of radiotherapy. However, the effect of GQBZD on reducing the damage to the normal immune system in radiotherapy remains unclear. Here, we show that GQBZD reduces body weights, water intake, food intake, diarrhea level and quality of life score, and inflammation and enhances immunity function in rats treated with X-ray radiation. Meanwhile, our data indicate that GQBZD not only reverses IR-induced gut dysbiosis as indicated change of α-diversity and β-diversity of microbiota, the composition of Desulfovibrio, Bacteroides, and Parabacteroides, except for Roseburia and Lachnoclostridium, but also maintains intestinal barrier integrity and promoting the formation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). GQBZD can also reduce the level of phosphorylation P65 (p-P65). Our results demonstrate that GQBZD can significantly alleviate the inflammatory responses and improve the immune damage against IR, and may be used as prebiotic agents to prevent gut dysbiosis and radiation-related metabolic disorders in radiotherapy.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Guiqi Baizhu Decoction Alleviates Radiation Inflammation in Rats by Modulating the Composition of the Gut Microbiota

Zhou

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

et al. 2020

“…While gut microbiota influence the radiation-induced toxicity via translocation and dysbiosis, which disrupt intestinal immune homeostasis and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. 41 This revealed that gut microbiota functions with different biological effects in different microenvironment, even in the same radiation exposure. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms requires a careful and systematical parsing of the multivariate processes.…”

Section: Microbiota As a Cause Of Inflammation Increasing Evidence Lmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…GI microbiota dysbiosis could be a useful biomarker to predict and prevent radiation-induced bowel toxicity. 26,35,38 Importantly, Kumagai et al 40 and AI-Qadami et al 41 have given reviews on the interplay between GI microbiota and radiation induced bowel injury.…”

Section: Radiation Alters Gi Microbial Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Minireview on Gastrointestinal Microbiota and Radiosusceptibility

et al. 2020

Gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota maintains a symbiotic relationship with the host and plays a key role in modulating many important biological processes and functions of the host, such as metabolism, inflammation, immune and stress response. It is becoming increasingly apparent that GI microbiota is susceptible to a wide range of environmental factors and insults, for examples, geographic location of birth, diet, use of antibiotics, and exposure to radiation. Alterations in GI microbiota link to various diseases, including radiation-induced disorders. In addition, GI microbiota composition could be used as a biomarker to estimate radiosusceptibility and radiation health risk in the host. In this minireview, we summarized the documented studies on radiation-induced alterations in GI microbiota and the relationship between GI microbiota and radiosusceptibility of the host, and mainly discussed the possible mechanisms underlying GI microbiota influencing the outcome of radiation response in humans and animal models. Furthermore, we proposed that GI microbiota manipulation may be used to reduce radiation injury and improve the health of the host.

“…In conclusion, it is admitted that the intestinal microbiota could be a key player for the modulation of systemic immune response with radiosensitivity and radio-induced toxicity modulation [76]. However, the direct impact of gut microbiota on the efficacy of radiotherapy has not really been demonstrated yet [74].…”

Section: Intestinal Microbiota Impacts On Efficacy Of Cancer Theramentioning

confidence: 99%

Intestinal Microbiota: A Novel Target to Improve Anti-Tumor Treatment?

Villéger

Lopès

Carrier

et al. 2019

IJMS

Recently, preclinical and clinical studies targeting several types of cancer strongly supported the key role of the gut microbiota in the modulation of host response to anti-tumoral therapies such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy and even surgery. Intestinal microbiome has been shown to participate in the resistance to a wide range of anticancer treatments by direct interaction with the treatment or by indirectly stimulating host response through immunomodulation. Interestingly, these effects were described on colorectal cancer but also in other types of malignancies. In addition to their role in therapy efficacy, gut microbiota could also impact side effects induced by anticancer treatments. In the first part of this review, we summarized the role of the gut microbiome on the efficacy and side effects of various anticancer treatments and underlying mechanisms. In the second part, we described the new microbiota-targeting strategies, such as probiotics and prebiotics, antibiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation and physical activity, which could be effective adjuvant therapies developed in order to improve anticancer therapeutic efficiency.