Ex-germfree mice harboring intestinal microbiota derived from other animal species as an experimental model for ecology and metabolism of intestinal bacteria.

Ex-germfree (GF) animals harboring intestinal microbiota derived from other animal species, e.g. human-flora-associated (HFA) and pig-flora-associated (PFA) mice, have been considered as a tool for studying the ecology and metabolism of intestinal bacteria of man and animals. Human fecal microbiota was transferred into the intestines of the mice with minor modification by inoculating GF mice with human fecal suspensions. Interestingly, bifidobacteria were eliminated from some of the HFA mouse groups, whereas other dominant bacterial groups remained constant. Elimination of bifidobacteria appeared to be dependent on the composition of microbiota in the inoculated sample. Human fecal microbiota established in the intestines of the HFA mice reproduced in the intestine of offspring of these HFA mice and of cage-mated ex-GF mice without any remarkable change in composition. Although the HFA mice could be used for studying the effects of diet on human intestinal microbiota, the metabolism of microbiota of HFA mice reflected that of human feces with respect to some metabolic activities but not others. PFA mice were also a good model for studying the ecosystem of pig fecal microbiota and the control of short chain fatty acids in pig intestines, but not for studying putrefactive products generated in pig intestines. In conclusion, HFA and PFA mice provide a stable and valuable tool for studying the ecosystem and metabolism of the human and animal intestinal microbiota, but they have some limitations as a model.     

Human flora‐associated rodents – does the data support the assumptions?

There is little direct literature detailing exhaustive bacteriological studies comparing human donor faecal flora, human flora‐associated (HFA) mouse models and conventional rodent faecal flora. While there is a premise that the implanted donor faecal flora from humans is established in the rodent model the evidence is incomplete and indeed for groups such as Bifidobacterium spp. it is lacking. The reviewed bacteriology studies are generally lacking in detail with the exception of one study from which the data have mostly been overlooked when cited by other workers. While there are studies that suggest that the HFA rodent model is more relevant to man than studies with conventional rodents, the hypothesis remains to be proven. This review concludes that the established microbial flora in the HFA rodent model is different to that of donor human faecal flora, and this clearly raises the question as to whether this matters, after all a model is a model and as such models can be useful even should they fail to be a true representation of, in this case, the gastrointestinal tract. What matters is that there is a proper understanding of the limitations of the model as we attempt to unravel the significance of the components of the gastrointestinal flora in health and disease; examples of why such an analysis is important are provided with regard to obesity and nutritional studies. The data do unsurprisingly suggest that diet is an extremely influential variable when interpreting HFA and conventional rodent data. The microbiology data from direct bacteriology and indirect enzyme studies show that the established microbial flora in the HFA rodent model is different to that of donor human faecal flora. The significance of this conclusion remains to be established.     

多糖与肠道菌群相互作用及其构效关系研究进展

肠道菌群是一个复杂的生态系统,影响宿主的饮食、疾病发展、药物代谢和免疫系统调节等诸多生理方面。多糖广泛存在于动物、植物及微生物中,具有多种生理活性。肠道菌群与多糖相互作用,消化难以消化的多糖,多糖作为肠道菌群的重要能量来源,促进益生菌增殖。肠道菌群紊乱导致疾病的发生,多糖通过调节肠道菌群改善疾病。随着“人类微生物组计划”的启动和国内外学者对肠道菌群的深入研究,多糖与肠道菌群的关系逐渐清晰,但多糖的结构与肠道菌群之间的关系还有待进一步探究。因此,本文综述了多糖与肠道菌群的相互作用,并通过调节肠道菌群的组成来改善疾病,以及从多糖的分子量、糖苷键、单糖组成三方面探讨多糖与肠道菌群的构效关系,同时对未来研究的方向进行展望,以期为治疗疾病的深入研究提供重要参照和建议。     

基于肠道微生态的白术散作用机制研究进展

肠道作为人体消化吸收的重要场所,是人体最大的免疫器官,在维持正常生理活动中发挥着非常重要的作用。随着人类饮食的多元化,肠道菌群对健康的影响吸引了越来越多的关注。肠道微生态与免疫、代谢系统疾病和肿.瘤等50多种疾病相关,同时疾病也会影响肠道菌群,通过饮食调节和用药会影响肠道菌群,进而影响健康。白术散是以食药两用药材为主的方剂,能够改善肠道微生态、健脾益气、和胃生津,进而达到调整人体健康的目的。近年来,诸多临床研究和动物试验在研究白术散治疗肠道菌群失调相关疾病方面取得了显著进展。本文就白术散对肠道微生态的作用机制进行总结,以期为临床研究白术散治疗肠道相关疾病提供一些理论依据和实验基础。     

Intestinal flora of animal models of human diseases as an environmental factor

Genetically-engineered animals are known to be useful in clarifying the functions of many genes and as animal models for human diseases. However, it has been widely reported that pathophysiology is not expressed in these animals when they become germfree or SPF animals, i.e., the pathophysiology is not the result of genes alone and a combination of gene function and intestinal flora as an environmental factor are necessary. It is important to determine the roles of each of these two factors by pathophysiological analysis. Gnotobiotic mice were produced by establishment of specified bacterial species in germfree animals to form the intestinal flora of SPF animals and they were placed in barrier facilities. Measures have been taken against infections by bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter cloacae. In addition, gnotobiotic mice with a highly normal physiology are required. Analysis of the effects of each bacterial species and combinations of bacteria on in vivo functions, i.e., the cross-talk between the host and intestinal flora, is essential in the creation of better laboratory animals. Monitoring of the intestinal flora, a key factor in the colonies produced, is a topic for future research.     

The role of intestinal microbiota in cardiovascular disease

Accumulating evidence has indicated that intestinal microbiota is involved in the development of various human diseases, including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In the recent years, both human and animal experiments have revealed that alterations in the composition and function of intestinal flora, recognized as gut microflora dysbiosis, can accelerate the progression of CVDs. Moreover, intestinal flora metabolizes the diet ingested by the host into a series of metabolites, including trimethylamine N‐oxide, short chain fatty acids, secondary bile acid and indoxyl sulfate, which affects the host physiological processes by activation of numerous signalling pathways. The aim of this review was to summarize the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of CVDs, including coronary artery disease, hypertension and heart failure, which may provide valuable insights into potential therapeutic strategies for CVD that involve interfering with the composition, function and metabolites of the intestinal flora.     

Effects of the Human Intestinal Flora on Germ-free Mice

The effects of complete human intestinal flora and of intestinal anaerobes on germ-free mice were studied. The gross composition of the flora of mice was similar to that of the flora with which the animals had been contaminated and appeared to be stable provided that the animals were kept isolated. The complete flora and the anaerobes reduced caecal weight to normal values and induced an antagonistic effect against Escherichia coli. In contrast to the complete flora, the anaerobes were not invasive in immunosuppressed mice and induced colonization resistance and antagonism against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.     

Movement and Fixation of Intestinal Microbiota after Administration of Human Feces to Germfree Mice

Human flora-associated (HFA) mice have been considered a tool for studying the ecology and metabolism of intestinal bacteria in humans, although they have some limitations as a model. Shifts in dominant species of microbiota in HFA mice after the administration of human intestinal microbiota was revealed by 16S rRNA gene sequence and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analyses. Characteristic terminal restriction fragments (T-RFs) were quantified as the proportion of total peak area of all T-RFs. Only the proportion of the T-RF peak at bp 366, identified as the Gammmaproteobacteria group and the family Coriobacteriaceae, was reduced in this study. Increased T-RFs over time at bp 56, 184, and 196 were affiliated with the Clostridium group. However, most of the isolated bacteria with unique population shifts were phylotypes. The vertical transmission of the intestinal microbiota of the mouse offspring was also investigated by dendrogram analysis derived from the similarity of T-RFLP patterns among samples. As a result, the intestinal microbiota of HFA mice and their offspring reflected the composition of individual human intestinal bacteria with some modifications. Moreover, we revealed that human-derived lactobacilli (HDL), which have been considered difficult to colonize in the HFA mouse intestine in previous studies based on culture methods, could be detected in the HFA mouse intestine by using a lactic acid bacterium-specific primer and HDL-specific primers. Our results indicate that the intestinal microbiota of HFA mice represents a limited sample of bacteria from the human source and are selected by unknown interactions between the host and bacteria.     

Movement and fixation of intestinal microbiota after administration of human feces to germfree mice

Human flora-associated (HFA) mice have been considered a tool for studying the ecology and metabolism of intestinal bacteria in humans, although they have some limitations as a model. Shifts in dominant species of microbiota in HFA mice after the administration of human intestinal microbiota was revealed by 16S rRNA gene sequence and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analyses. Characteristic terminal restriction fragments (T-RFs) were quantified as the proportion of total peak area of all T-RFs. Only the proportion of the T-RF peak at bp 366, identified as the Gammmaproteobacteria group and the family Coriobacteriaceae, was reduced in this study. Increased T-RFs over time at bp 56, 184, and 196 were affiliated with the Clostridium group. However, most of the isolated bacteria with unique population shifts were phylotypes. The vertical transmission of the intestinal microbiota of the mouse offspring was also investigated by dendrogram analysis derived from the similarity of T-RFLP patterns among samples. As a result, the intestinal microbiota of HFA mice and their offspring reflected the composition of individual human intestinal bacteria with some modifications. Moreover, we revealed that human-derived lactobacilli (HDL), which have been considered difficult to colonize in the HFA mouse intestine in previous studies based on culture methods, could be detected in the HFA mouse intestine by using a lactic acid bacterium-specific primer and HDL-specific primers. Our results indicate that the intestinal microbiota of HFA mice represents a limited sample of bacteria from the human source and are selected by unknown interactions between the host and bacteria.     

肠道菌群在糖尿病发生发展中的作用机制研究进展

糖尿病已经成为严重威胁人类健康的疾病之一。目前已有研究证明肠道菌群在糖尿病的发生、发展中发挥着重要作用。肠道菌群在人体中处于动态平衡,但容易受到饮食、环境、细菌的相互作用以及抗菌药物等多种因素的影响。肠道菌群的变化可以导致肥胖、胰岛素抵抗、肠道渗透压改变以及代谢性内毒素血症等,从而促进糖尿病(1型及2型)的发生、发展,而益生菌在预防糖尿病的发生和改善糖尿病预后中的作用不可小视。本文从糖代谢、脂代谢、免疫及并发症等方面分析肠道菌群影响糖尿病发生发展的机制。     

活血化瘀法对肠道菌群结构及 肠屏障功能影响的研究

随着人们对于肠道菌群种类以及作用认识的逐渐深入,我们发现作为人体庞大而又复杂的微生态系统,肠道菌群的结构及和菌群分布有紧密联系的肠屏障功能的改变与人体的健康息息相关。中药作为传统医学的一种治疗方法,其对人体的治疗作用是十分显著的,而活血化瘀法是使用具有消散作用及攻逐体内淤血作用的药物来治疗人类各种疾病的一种方法,这种方法对于肠道菌群以及肠屏障功能也产生了深远的影响。本文围绕肠道菌群结构改变及肠黏膜屏障功能的变化,对近十年关于肠道菌群与活血化瘀方药的相关文献进行综述,探究活血化瘀法(中药及中药复方)对于肠道菌群的影响,为临床治疗提供新思路。     

Does the intestinal bifidobacterial colonisation affect bacterial translocation?

The aim of this work was to investigate the possible role of the intestinal anaerobic flora (especially bifidobacteria) in regulating bacterial translocation (BT) which can be defined as the passage of intestinal microbes through the mucosa to internal organs. Default in BT regulation concurs with pathogenesis of sepsis in various human conditions, such as acute pancreatitis, cirrhosis, necrotising enterocolitis or multiple organ failure. The intestinal flora was studied in human flora associated mice (HF mice) and BT was quantified in Peyer's patches (PP), blood, spleen, liver and lungs. HF mice displayed a heterogenic intestinal colonisation with bifidobacteria. High colonisation of both caecum and colon by bifidobacteria led to a poorer bacterial contamination of blood, liver and lungs. Moreover, ileal, caecal and colonic bifidobacterial counts negatively correlated with the bacterial dissemination (number of contaminated organs per mouse). In contrast, Bacteroides fragilis group counts positively correlated with bacteraemia, lungs contamination or bacterial dissemination. Additionally, clostridia localised in the colon affected bacterial uptake by PP and lungs contamination as indicated by positive correlations between bacterial populations in these respective locations. These results indicate that bifidobacteria, when established in high counts, reduced BT to liver, blood and lungs, whereas B. fragilis group favoured the bacterial passage. Clostridia established in the distal ileum also seemed to favour BT to lungs. The manipulation of the bacterial flora to optimise the regulatory effect on BT should therefore focus on the selective promotion of bifidobacteria and avoid an increase in potentially detrimental populations such as B. fragilis group and clostridia.     

微生态制剂在老年人肠道菌群失衡中的应用

人类从青年到老年这个过程,随着年龄的增长,退行性和感染性疾病的易感性也增加,其可能与人体肠道菌群失衡有着密切的关系。人体肠道内生理菌群对机体健康具有重要的作用,其变化与宿主的免疫功能、食物、疾病和年龄等有关。了解老年人肠道菌群特点,且在老年人肠道菌群失调相关疾病中合理介入微生态制剂,将大大有利于老年人身体健康。本文就老年人肠道菌群失衡相关疾病以及微生态制剂在这些疾病中的应用进行综述。     

Lactobacillus casei is able to survive and initiate protein synthesis during its transit in the digestive tract of human flora-associated mice

Live Lactobacillus casei is present in fermented dairy products and has beneficial properties for human health. In the human digestive tract, the resident flora generally prevents the establishment of ingested lactic acid bacteria, the presence of which is therefore transient. The aim of this work was to determine if L. casei DN-114 001 survives during transit and how this bacterium behaves in the digestive environment. We used the human flora-associated (HFA) mouse model. L. casei DN-114 001 was genetically modified by the introduction of erm and lux genes, encoding erythromycin resistance and luciferase, respectively. For this modified strain (DN-240 041), light emission related to luciferase expression could easily be detected in the contents of the digestive tract. When inoculated into the digestive tract of HFA mice, L. casei (DN-240 041) survives but is eliminated with the same kinetics as an inert transit marker, indicating that it does not establish itself. In pure culture of L. casei, luciferase activities were high in the exponential and early stationary growth phases but decreased to become undetectable 1 day after inoculation. Viability was only slightly reduced even after more than 5 days. After transit in HFA mice, luciferase activity was detected even when 5-day-old L. casei cultures were given to the mice. In culture, the luciferase activity could be restored after 0.5 to 7 h of incubation in fresh medium or milk containing glucose, unless protein synthesis was inhibited by the addition of chloramphenicol or rifampin. These results suggest that in HFA mice L. casei DN-240 041, and thus probably L. casei DN-114 001, is able to initiate new protein synthesis during its transit with the diet. The beneficial properties of L. casei-fermented milk for human health might be related to this protein synthesis in the digestive tract.     

微生物在精神分裂症发病机制的研究现状

脑和肠道微生物群之间的相互作用逐渐被揭示。目前已经提出脑-肠轴失调和异常与各种中枢神经系统疾病有关。精神分裂症是一种病因不明的严重精神障碍。最近研究表明,肠道微生物的组成和数量变化会通过肠道菌群-肠-脑轴影响人类的认知和社会行为,这意味着肠道菌群在精神分裂症患者中可能起着重要的作用,并有望成为精神分裂症新的治疗靶点。本文综述了肠道菌群与精神分裂症相关性的研究进展,为预防和治疗精神分裂症等精神障碍类疾病提供了理论依据。     

常见肠道菌群代谢产物作为疾病诊断的指针的研究进展

人类肠道菌群能够产生多种代谢产物或与人体相互作用产生肠道菌群-宿主共代谢物,显著影响人体各大系统的生理功能。当人体健康状态以及肠道菌群发生变化时,肠道代谢物的种类和含量也会相应受到影响,因此肠道菌群代谢产物具有作为疾病诊断指针的巨大潜力。本文总结了常见的几类肠道微生物代谢产物,包括糖类、胆碱代谢物、脂质、氨基酸与肽类、维生素、胆汁酸、短链脂肪酸、酚、苯甲酰基和苯基衍生物等,及其在不同疾病状态下的作用机理,以期更好地理解肠道菌群、代谢产物和疾病之间的相关性,为疾病的预防、诊断和治疗提供新的靶点。     

氢气与肠道菌群的关系研究进展

目前,氢气已被证实在多种疾病中具有显著的医学效应,然而其发挥效应的分子机制并不清楚。肠道菌群被人们看作人体的一个重要“器官”,与人类健康的关系密不可分。研究表明,人类肠道菌群中存在着大量能够进行氢气代谢的菌群,这些菌群的变化可能与多种疾病的发生发展密切相关。此外,研究还发现外源氢气干预可能通过重塑肠道菌群改善炎症性肠病、脂肪性肝病等。综述了肠道菌群的氢气代谢及其与疾病发生发展的关系以及外源氢气干预通过调节肠道菌群影响疾病进展的相关研究,希望能为致力于从肠道菌群角度研究氢气医学效应的科研工作者提供帮助。     

How normal is a "normal" flora in animal or man?

When investigating different disturbances of the normal intestinal flora causing disorders and/or diseases in man and animal, these studies include comparisons of results with control materials, i.e., materials from conventional laboratory animals or healthy human beings. However, how "normal" is the control group’s flora? In this paper two different examples will be discussed; one investigation with laboratory animals and one from a human study.     

肠道菌群与抑郁症相关性的研究进展

正常人体内的肠道菌群数量可达100万亿,可参与人体的多项生理活动,包括营养物质的吸收与代谢、免疫系统的发育与成熟、抵挡外来病原体的入侵等,对人类的健康有着至关重要的作用。近年来发现肠道中的定植微生物与抑郁症、自闭症、焦虑症和帕金森病等一系列的神经精神疾病密切相关。最新研究表明,肠道菌群是通过神经、体液、代谢和免疫多种途径双向调节肠道和中枢神经系统的。目前,随着医学技术和医学理论的的提高,抑郁症与肠道菌群间的关系受到极大地重视。本文从肠道菌群对抑郁症的影响机制以及益生菌对抑郁症的改善作用两方面来综述肠道菌群与抑郁症相关性的最新进展。     

Research progress on the regulation mechanism of probiotics on the microecological flora of infected intestines in livestock and poultry

The animal intestine is a complex ecosystem composed of host cells, gut microbiota and available nutrients. Gut microbiota can prevent the occurrence of intestinal diseases in animals by regulating the homeostasis of the intestinal environment. The intestinal microbiota is a complex and stable microbial community, and the homeostasis of the intestinal environment is closely related to the invasion of intestinal pathogens, which plays an important role in protecting the host from pathogen infections. Probiotics are strains of microorganisms that are beneficial to health, and their potential has recently led to a significant increase in studies on the regulation of intestinal flora. Various potential mechanisms of action have been proposed on probiotics, especially mediating the regulation mechanism of the intestinal flora on the host, mainly including competitive inhibition of pathogens, stimulation of the host's adaptive immune system and regulation of the intestinal flora. The advent of high-throughput sequencing technology has given us a clearer understanding and has facilitated the development of research methods to investigate the intestinal microecological flora. This review will focus on the regulation of probiotics on the microbial flora of intestinal infections in livestock and poultry and will depict future research directions.