Multi-Time-Point Fecal Sampling in Human and Mouse Reveals the Formation of New Homeostasis in Gut Microbiota after Bowel Cleansing

Abstract

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is one of the most commonly used bowel cleansing methods. Although the safety of PEG for bowel cleansing has been proven, its impact on intestinal microbiota has not been clearly explained, especially in terms of the dynamic changes in intestinal microbiota after PEG bowel cleansing, and there are no consistent results. In this study, stool samples were collected from 12 participants at six time points before and after bowel cleansing. We obtained data on the microbiota of these samples using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and analysis. The data revealed that the structure and composition of the microbiota changed greatly approximately 7 d after intestinal cleansing. The analysis of the dynamic changes in the microbiota showed that the change was most significant at day 3, but the internal structure of the microbiota was similar to that before bowel cleansing. A comparison of the most significantly changed microbiota at different time points before and after bowel cleansing revealed four bacteria: Bacteroides, Roseburia, Eubacterium, and Bifidobacterium. We also established a humanized mouse model to simulate human bowel cleansing using PEG. The results showed that the mouse model achieved similar effects to human bowel cleansing, but its recovery speed was one stage earlier than that of humans. These findings suggest that the intestinal microbiota after bowel cleansing initially underwent a short-term change and then actively returned to its initial status. The results on key bacteria and establishment of mouse models can provide a reference for subsequent research on bowel cleansing.

Induction of autism-related behavior in male mice by early-life vitamin D deficiency: association with disruption of the gut microbial composition and homeostasis

“…FMT, as a promising therapy for restoring ecologically dysfunctional gut microbiota, 49 demonstrated systemic effects on gut physiology and metabolites, including the enteric nervous and neuroendocrine systems, leading to improved autism-related behavior. 50 Lastly, the validation of these results in the FMT receptor Abx mice showcased that ASD-related behavior induced by VDD early in life is mediated by the gut microbiota. An increasing body of research underscores the role of vitamin regulation in gut flora and its implications for various diseases.…”

“…For more information on faecal 16S-RNA analysis, see ref. 50. The Shannon indexes were calculated to evaluate α-diversity, while β-diversity was determined based on Bray-Curtis distances and assessed through principal coordinate analysis (PCoA).…”

Depressive Symptoms and Gut Microbiota after Bowel Preparation and Colonoscopy: A Pre-post Intervention Study

“…Whilst decreases in the number and distribution (i.e., alpha diversity) and relative abundances of bacterial taxa have been observed immediately after bowel preparation (before colonoscopy) 13,14 , very minimal or no changes have also been described 15,16 . Differences in gut microbiota composition have been reported one week 14,15,[17][18][19] to one month 13,17,20,21 post-procedure compared to baseline, however in other studies there were no statistically significant differences at these follow up time points 17,19,20 . Few studies have measured changes in gut microbiota composition beyond one month after bowel preparation and colonoscopy, and those that have provided limited evidence of ongoing changes six weeks and six months later 18,22 .…”

Fecal microbiota transplantation for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Placebo response estimates in prior meta-analyses range from 16% to 72%[ 64 , 70 ]. Likewise, bowel cleansing might contribute to symptom improvement; however, its effects on the microbiota seem to be transient[ 71 , 72 ].…”