Small metabolites, possible big changes: a microbiota-centered view of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Chen

J Cellular Molecular Medi

et al. 2020

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a global epidemic disease that may progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The role of the liver‐bile acid‐microbiota axis in CHB remains unclear. The aims of this study are to elucidate the alteration of the gut microbiota and its functions in bile acid homeostasis in CHB patients with different degrees of fibrosis. In the present study, we evaluated serum and faecal bile acid profiles in healthy controls and CHB patients with biopsy‐proven diagnosis: patients had stage 0‐1 fibrosis were classified as mild CHB and patients had stage 2‐4 fibrosis were classified as moderate/advanced CHB. The levels of serum total bile acids (BAs) and primary BAs were increased in CHB patients with moderate/advanced fibrosis, whereas faecal total and secondary BAs levels were significantly lower. Analyses of gut microbiota exhibited a trend of decreased abundance in bacteria genera responsible for BA metabolism in CHB patients with moderate/advanced fibrosis. CHB is associated with altered bile acid pool which is linked with the dysregulated gut microbiota. The higher level of FGF‐19 may act in a negative feedback loop for maintaining the bile acid homeostasis.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…BAs differ in their potentials to activate FXR . A higher ratio of DCA: CDCA was considered to reduce the activation of intestinal FXR, leading to lower expression of FGF19 . We further examined the ratio of faecal DCA to CDCA.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modulation of bile acid profile by gut microbiota in chronic hepatitis B

Chen

J Cellular Molecular Medi

et al. 2020

Molecular Nutrition Food Res

“…Studies have demonstrated that aging alters intestinal smooth muscle contractility, the neural innervations, and increases of intestinal permeability to macromolecules, indicating that there may be an age‐associated decline in barrier function . The barrier dysfunction could also promote the progression of liver steatosis or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) . In addition, it is found the gut microbiota profile in elder people is different from that of healthy adults, and this difference could be attributed to several reasons associated with senescence .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium Improves Physiological Function and Cognitive Ability in Aged Mice by the Regulation of Gut Microbiota

Ota

Yang

Zheng

et al. 2019

200

185

Scope Age‐related degeneration is associated with imbalances of gut microbiota and its related immune system, thus gut microbiota dysbiosis is considered to be a key target to improve senescence. The potential roles of probiotics on physiological function and cognitive ability in aged mice are investigated in this study. Methods and results Lactobacillus casei LC122 or Bifidobacterium longum BL986, are orally administrated for 12 weeks, and the anti‐aging effects, as well as the composition and function of gut microbiota, are investigated in aged mice. Probiotics supplementation ameliorates hepatic lipid accumulation, enhances muscle strength and function, attenuates oxidative stress and inflammation in peripheral tissues, and improves gut barrier function. These results are associated with improved learning and memory ability as assessed by behavioral tests and upregulation of neurodegenerative and neurotrophic factors expressions in hippocampus. Moreover, the diversity and composition of gut microbiota are altered in aged mice, and both probiotics treatment display distinguished features of gut microbiota. Comparisons of two probiotic strains reveal significant differences in the taxa at family and genus level, leading to the functional profile change of the microbial community. Conclusion L. casei LC122 and B. longum BL986 might be used as novel and promising anti‐aging agents in human.

“…The role of gut barrier dysfunction in NAFLD patients is less clear as compared with patients suffering from alcohol‐related liver disease. It appears that only a subset of NAFLD patients has increased intestinal permeability . This might be an explanation why the carriage of cytolysin in our NAFLD cohort did not lead to increased liver damage.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Cytolysin‐positive Enterococcus faecalis is not increased in patients with non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis

Lang

Demir

Duan

et al. 2020

Liver International

Self Cite

Several studies show associations between gut bacterial dysbiosis and chronic liver diseases, but causative mechanisms are largely unclear. We recently identified cytolysin, a bacterial exotoxin expressed and secreted by Enterococcus faecalis to cause liver damage in the setting of alcohol‐related liver disease. Cytolysin was increased and highly correlated with liver disease severity and mortality in alcoholic hepatitis patients. In this study, we investigated if faecal cytolysin‐positivity can be linked to non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, a highly prevalent disease where new biomarkers and treatment targets are urgently needed. In contrast to what we observed in alcoholic hepatitis, only seven out of 96 non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease patients were cytolysin‐positive, and these patients did not have increased liver disease activity compared with cytolysin‐negative patients. These results indicate that the association of cytolysin carriage with worse clinical outcome might be specific for alcoholic hepatitis.