The intestinal microbiota and metabolites in patients with anorexia nervosa

Abstract

Brain-gut microbiota interactions are intensively studied in connection with various neurological and psychiatric diseases. While anorexia nervosa (AN) pathophysiology is not entirely clear, it is presumably linked to microbiome dysbiosis. We aimed to elucidate the gut microbiota contribution in AN disease pathophysiology. We analyzed the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome of patients with AN (bacteriome and mycobiome) from stool samples before and after renourishment, and compared them to healthy controls. Further, levels of assorted neurotransmitters and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) were analyzed in stool samples by MS and NMR, respectively. Biochemical, anthropometric, and psychometric profiles were assessed. The bacterial alphadiversity parameter analyses revealed only increased Chao 1 index in patients with AN before the realimentation, reflecting their interindividual variation. Subsequently, core microbiota depletion signs were observed in patients with AN. Overrepresented OTUs (operation taxonomic units) in patients with AN taxonomically belonged to Alistipes, Clostridiales, Christensenellaceae, and Ruminococcaceae. Underrepresented OTUs in patients with AN were Faecalibacterium, Agathobacter, Bacteroides, Blautia, and Lachnospira. Patients exhibited greater interindividual variation in the gut bacteriome, as well as in metagenome content compared to controls, suggesting altered bacteriome functions. Patients had decreased levels of serotonin, GABA, dopamine, butyrate, and acetate in their stool samples compared to controls. Mycobiome analysis did not reveal significant differences in alpha diversity and fungal profile composition between patients with AN and healthy controls, nor any correlation of the fungal composition with the bacterial profile. Our results show the changed profile of the gut microbiome and its metabolites in patients with severe AN. Although therapeutic partial renourishment led to increased body mass index and improved psychometric parameters, SCFA, and neurotransmitter profiles, as well as microbial community compositions, did not change substantially during the hospitalization period, which can be potentially caused by only partial weight recovery.

Altered Serum Immunological and Biochemical Parameters and Microbiota Composition in Patients With AN During Realimentation

“…The gut microbiota composition of patients with AN and healthy controls was thoroughly described by our group ( 24 ). Here, we show the overall representation of bacterial phylum that does not significantly differ between controls and patients with AN ( Figure 2A ).…”

“…To assess the connection between anti-α-MSH antibodies and Enterobacteriaceae , we determined the family abundance in the gut microbiome of patients with AN and healthy controls ( Figure 2 ). Our group described that the gut microbiota was very similar at the phylum level, although microbiota depletion signs were observed in patients with AN ( 24 ). Enterobacteriaceae abundance was increased in patients with AN, but this increase was not significant, most likely due to great interindividual variability.…”

“…The gut microbiota analysis was performed as described in Prochazkova et al ( 24 ). Briefly, total DNA was isolated from stool samples using the ZymoBIOMICS DNA Miniprep kit (Zymo Research).…”

Microbiota and stress: a loop that impacts memory

“…Interestingly, increased abundance of Alistipes sp. has also been found in the gut microbiota of depressive human patients 48,49 and in anorexia nervosa 50 .…”

Dynamics of the infant gut microbiota in the first 18 months of life: the impact of maternal HIV infection and breastfeeding

“…DNA was extracted from each fecal, meconium, and vaginal specimen. Both positive and negative controls (Zymo, Irvine, CA) were included in the DNA extraction process and the 16S rRNA gene sequence amplification process as previously described [ 106 ]. Samples were thawed at 4°C and, in aliquots of 0.15 g per tube, resuspended in 1 ml of 1 × phosphate-buffered saline.…”