What’s gut got to do with it? The role of the microbiota and inflammation in the development of adiposity and obesity

Abstract

Obesity is a complex and heterogeneous disease characterized by increased adiposity, ie, the accumulation of lipids and the growth of adipose tissue. In this mini-review, we explore the important role of the gut microbiota and immune system in the development of adiposity. Dysbiosis of the microbiota leads to increased permeability of the gut barrier and bacterial products in the bloodstream, which triggers metabolic inflammation of adipose tissue, muscle, and liver. Inflammation in these highly metabolic organs exacerbates adiposity and contributes to the development of comorbidities associated with obesity. Studies in animal models that manipulate the microbiota and/or inflammation have shown promise in the treatment of obesity.

Pathophysiological-Based Nutritional Interventions in Cirrhotic Patients with Sarcopenic Obesity: A State-of-the-Art Narrative Review

“…Indeed, the severity of sarcopenia has been associated with the grade of dysbiosis even within a human cirrhotic population [13]. On the other hand, dysbiosis with similar alterations in microbiota composition (diversity reduction, with an increase in Firmicutes/Bacterioidetes and a reduction in A. muciniphila) has also been demonstrated in obesity, where the systemic inflammation activated by dysbiosis and a leaking gut barrier lead to inflammation in metabolic tissues [146].…”