Interactions between multiple helminths and the gut microbiota in wild rodents

The gut microbiota is vital to host health and, as such, it is important to elucidate the mechanisms altering its composition and diversity. Intestinal helminths are host immunomodulators and have evolved both temporally and spatially in close association with the gut microbiota, resulting in potential mechanistic interplay. Host–helminth and host–microbiota interactions are comparatively well-examined, unlike microbiota–helminth relationships, which typically focus on experimental infection with a single helminth species in laboratory animals. Here, in addition to a review of the literature on helminth–microbiota interactions, we examined empirically the association between microbiota diversity and composition and natural infection of multiple helminth species in wild mice (Apodemus flavicollis), using 16S rRNA gene catalogues (metataxonomics). In general, helminth presence is linked with high microbiota diversity, which may confer health benefits to the host. Within our wild rodent system variation in the composition and abundance of gut microbial taxa associated with helminths was specific to each helminth species and occurred both up- and downstream of a given helminth''s niche (gut position). The most pronounced helminth–microbiota association was between the presence of tapeworms in the small intestine and increased S24–7 (Bacteroidetes) family in the stomach. Helminths clearly have the potential to alter gut homeostasis. Free-living rodents with a diverse helminth community offer a useful model system that enables both correlative (this study) and manipulative inference to elucidate helminth–microbiota interactions.     

Crosstalk between B lymphocytes, microbiota and the intestinal epithelium governs immunity versus metabolism in the gut

Using a systems biology approach, we discovered and dissected a three-way interaction between the immune system, the intestinal epithelium and the microbiota. We found that, in the absence of B cells, or of IgA, and in the presence of the microbiota, the intestinal epithelium launches its own protective mechanisms, upregulating interferon-inducible immune response pathways and simultaneously repressing Gata4-related metabolic functions. This shift in intestinal function leads to lipid malabsorption and decreased deposition of body fat. Network analysis revealed the presence of two interconnected epithelial-cell gene networks, one governing lipid metabolism and another regulating immunity, that were inversely expressed. Gene expression patterns in gut biopsies from individuals with common variable immunodeficiency or with HIV infection and intestinal malabsorption were very similar to those of the B cell-deficient mice, providing a possible explanation for a longstanding enigmatic association between immunodeficiency and defective lipid absorption in humans.     

肠道微生物与骨质疏松相关性的研究进展

随着人口老龄化问题的加剧,骨质疏松症的高发生率降低了人们的生活质量。越来越多的证据表明,肠道微生物群与骨代谢联系密切,肠道微生物群稳态的破坏会导致宿主的病理生理反应,从而引起骨质疏松。通过研究两者之间的相互作用,或许能为骨质疏松症的预防及相关诊疗提供有价值的帮助。本文就目前肠道微生物与骨质疏松症相关机制和主要治疗的研究现状作一综述。     

A review on the interactions between gut microbiota and innate immunity of fish

Although fish immunology has progressed in the last few years, the contribution of the normal endogenous microbiota to the overall health status has been so far underestimated. In this context, the establishment of a normal or protective microbiota constitutes a key component to maintain good health, through competitive exclusion mechanisms, and has implications for the development and maturation of the immune system. The normal microbiota influences the innate immune system, which is of vital importance for the disease resistance of fish and is divided into physical barriers, humoral and cellular components. Innate humoral parameters include antimicrobial peptides, lysozyme, complement components, transferrin, pentraxins, lectins, antiproteases and natural antibodies, whereas nonspecific cytotoxic cells and phagocytes (monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils) constitute innate cellular immune effectors. Cytokines are an integral component of the adaptive and innate immune response, particularly IL-1 beta, interferon, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, transforming growth factor-beta and several chemokines regulate innate immunity. This review covers the innate immune mechanisms of protection against pathogens, in relation with the installation and composition of the normal endogenous microbiota in fish and its role on health. Knowledge of such interaction may offer novel and useful means designing adequate therapeutic strategies for disease prevention and treatment.     

肠道细菌微生态与人类疾病关系研究进展

寄居在人类肠道的数以亿计的肠道细菌,已被证实与人类多种疾病有关。就肠道细菌与内分泌系统疾病、消化系统疾病、心血管系统疾病、神经系统疾病、获得性免疫缺陷综合征以及特应性疾病等的关系研究进展进行综述。     

The gut as a lymphoepithelial organ: The role of intestinal epithelial cells in mucosal immunity

Mucosal surfaces covered by a layer of epithelial cells represent the largest and most critical interface between the organism and its environment. The barrier function of mucosal surfaces is performed by the epithelial layer and immune cells present in the mucosal compartment. As recently found, epithelial cells, apart from their participation in absorptive, digestive and secretory processes perform more than a passive barrier function and are directly involved in immune processes. Besides the well known role of epithelial cells in the transfer of polymeric immunoglobulins produced by lamina propria B lymphocytes to the luminal content of mucosals (secretory Igs), these cells were found to perform various other immunological functions, to interact with other cells of the immune system and to induce an efficient inflammatory response to microbial invasion: enzymic processing of dietary antigens, expression of class I and II MHC antigens, presentation of antigens to lymphocytes, expression of adhesive molecules mediating interaction with intraepithelial lymphocytes and components of extracellular matrix, production of cytokines and probable participation in extrathymic T cell development of intraepithelial lymphocytes. All these functions were suggested to influence substantially the mucosal immune system and its response. Under immunopathological conditions,e.g. during infections and inflammatory bowel and celiac diseases, both epithelial cells and intraepithelial lymphocytes participate substantially in inflammatory reactions. Moreover, enterocytes could become a target of mucosal immune factors. Mucosal immunosurveillance function is of crucial importance in various pathological conditions but especially in the case of the most frequent malignity occurring in the intestinal compartment,i.e. colorectal carcinoma. Proper understanding of the differentiation processes and functions of epithelial cells in interaction with other components of the mucosal immune system is therefore highly desirable. Dedicated to Professor J. Šterzl on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

New insights into the interactions between Blastocystis,the gut microbiota,and host immunity

The human gut microbiota is a diverse and complex ecosystem that is involved in beneficial physiological functions as well as disease pathogenesis. Blastocystis is a common protistan parasite and is increasingly recognized as an important component of the gut microbiota. The correlations between Blastocystis and other communities of intestinal microbiota have been investigated, and, to a lesser extent, the role of this parasite in maintaining the host immunological homeostasis. Despite recent studies suggesting that Blastocystis decreases the abundance of beneficial bacteria, most reports indicate that Blastocystis is a common component of the healthy gut microbiome. This review covers recent finding on the potential interactions between Blastocystis and the gut microbiota communities and its roles in regulating host immune responses.     

饮食与肠道菌群关系的研究进展

人体肠道内含有大量的微生物,直接参与了机体的各种代谢活动,与人体健康密切相关。研究显示肠道菌群的构成和稳定受到诸多宿主和环境因素的影响,其中饮食因素起着至关重要的作用。特别是西方高脂饮食方式造成肠道菌群结构改变,从而导致一些慢性、非传染性和免疫相关性疾病的发生。在过去的几十年中,肠道菌群在人体健康中的作用越来越受到关注。不同饮食结构可以对肠道菌群的组成和多样性产生重要的影响。在这篇综述中,我们总结了肠道微生物与人体健康之间的关系以及益生菌在饮食中的作用,为指导和建立健康饮食结构提供理论指导,为相应疾病的防治提供参考。     

肠黏膜屏障与肠道菌群的相互关系

人类肠道中微生物群与肠道环境相互作用以维持机体健康。肠黏膜屏障主要由黏液层、肠道菌群、肠道免疫系统和肠上皮细胞本身的完整性等构成。肠道作为直接与大量菌群接触的器官,其屏障功能在肠道健康中的作用尤为显著。肠道菌群与肠道屏障相互作用,保持肠道菌群与肠道屏障相对稳定,肠道菌群参与肠道免疫反应的建立,共同建立机体天然防御系统,在保持肠道免疫的动态平衡中具有重要作用。当两者之间的平衡被打破时,可诱发功能性胃肠病（如肠易激综合征）及免疫相关性疾病（如炎症性肠病）。本文主要阐述肠黏膜屏障与肠道菌群之间的相互关系以及与肠道屏障功能障碍相关的肠道疾病。     

肠道菌群与心血管疾病关系研究进展

近年来,越来越多的研究表明肠道菌群在心血管疾病、2型糖尿病、肥胖等疾病的发病过程中起着主要作用,肠道菌群组成改变以及肠道菌群代谢物水平改变是导致疾病发生发展的重要因素,人们对肠道菌群与宿主之间的相互作用产生极大兴趣。本文系统总结了肠道菌群组成结构改变及肠道菌群代谢物改变与动脉粥样硬化、高血压、心肌梗死、心力衰竭等心血管疾病的相关性,阐明了肠道菌群可能是促进心血管疾病发病的原因之一。因此,通过改变饮食结构和使用抗生素、益生菌制剂及肠道菌群代谢物氧化三甲胺(TMAO)小分子抑制剂,来调控肠道菌群组成及代谢物水平有望作为心血管疾病治疗的新靶点。     

肠道菌群与胃肠肿瘤关系的研究进展

随着人们对肠道菌群认识的深入,其在胃肠肿瘤发生、发展和防治中的作用越来越受到重视。大量研究表明:失调的肠道菌群可通过产生促肿瘤代谢产物及毒素、影响宿主免疫等促进胃肠肿瘤的发生发展;相反,健康且平衡的肠道菌群可增强宿主的抗肿瘤效应而抑制胃肠肿瘤发生发展、改善其预后。本文从肠道菌群与胃肠肿瘤的相关性、肠道菌群对胃肠肿瘤的影响机制及防治应用等角度,对二者关系的最新研究进展作一综述,旨在为胃肠肿瘤的预防、早诊和治疗提供新的思路。     

肠道菌群代谢作用与人体健康关系的研究进展

人体肠道内寄居的大量共生微生物可以通过多方面作用影响人体健康,特别是肠道内菌群的代谢作用,及与人体自身代谢的交互作用在人类的健康促进与疾病的发生、发展中起着重要作用。本文从正反两面讨论了肠道菌群代谢作用对人体健康的影响,并进一步探讨了肠道菌群代谢在健康监测、疾病的预防与治疗,以及个体化医疗方面的运用。     

糖尿病及其并发症与肠道菌群关系研究进展

糖尿病及其并发症作为长期的慢性代谢性疾病,对其防治应愈加重视。大量研究表明肠道菌群作为身体的一部分,直接或间接参与了疾病的发展。本研究综述了糖尿病及其并发症与肠道菌群关系及发病机制,为早期监测和预防糖尿病进展为并发症期提供新的参考依据。     

肠道菌群与相关疾病的研究进展

肠道菌群被称为人体的第二基因组,对机体营养物质的代谢、人体自身发育、免疫及疾病的发病都有着重要作用。了解肠道菌群在疾病中的作用,可为疾病的预防、诊断、治疗提供合理的依据。     

肠道菌群与免疫的相关性研究

由大量微生物构成的复杂微生物群落栖息在人体的肠道内,这些微生物统称作肠道菌群。肠道菌群在人体的消化吸收、免疫、生物拮抗、抗肿瘤等各项生命活动中发挥着重要的作用。近年来的许多研究提示,肠道内复杂的微生物群落和人体的免疫系统间存在着极为密切的关系。免疫系统发挥正常的功能及建立免疫的稳态与肠道菌群的作用密不可分。研究表明肠道菌群能阻止致病微生物入侵从而影响肠道免疫系统,同时还能影响全身免疫系统,在人体的自身免疫性疾病中有较为重要的作用。     

儿童肠道菌群与食物过敏关系的研究进展

食物过敏(food allergy, FA)在儿童中的发生率逐年升高,严重影响其生活质量,已经成为全球面临的公共卫生问题之一。近年来,人们发现FA儿童的肠道菌群组成与健康儿童有显著差异。深入研究发现,肠道菌群可通过调节树突状细胞、辅助性T细胞、调节性T细胞、肥大细胞和粒细胞等免疫细胞维持免疫平衡,也可通过多种方式增强肠道屏障功能,抑制FA的发生。在已有研究基础上,益生菌和益生元在治疗儿童FA方面也得到了一定应用,但目前的应用效果并不明确。本文以婴幼儿FA在全球范围内患者规模日益扩大为背景,综述了肠道菌群影响FA的部分机制,总结了近年部分益生菌和益生元在治疗和预防婴幼儿FA方面的应用,并为肠道菌群在FA发生和发展中的作用机制研究和益生菌及其相关代谢产物在儿童FA治疗和预防中的应用提出了新思路,对促进婴幼儿FA治疗方法和策略的研究有重要意义。     

肠道微生物与过敏性疾病关系研究进展

目前,过敏性疾病的防治主要依赖于使用抗生素,然而抗生素的滥用已造成了严重的危害。近年来随着肠道微生物相关研究的不断深入以及人们对过敏性疾病的日益关注与重视,肠道微生物与过敏性疾病间的关系逐渐受到科学家们的关注。调整肠道菌群结构可能为过敏性疾病的防治提供新的思路。目前对肠道微生物与过敏性疾病间的相关性报道相对较少且未有深层次的剖析。本文总结了关于肠道微生物与过敏性疾病关系的研究起源、发展与现状,旨在为过敏性疾病的防治提供新策略。     

山西省健康人群的肠道菌群组成特征

目的探索山西省健康人群的肠道菌群组成特征及性别和年龄对肠道菌群组成的影响。方法应用16S rRNA基因测序技术,对山西省99名健康个体的粪便细菌DNA进行测序分析。结果山西省健康人群的肠道菌群在属水平分为两个集群,相对丰度最高的分别是拟杆菌属和普氏菌属;在区分这两个集群中,拟杆菌属与普氏菌属的曲线下面积（AUC）分别是0.97、1.00。男性组与女性组的物种丰富度（richness）和多样性（diversity）差异都无统计学意义（均P>0.05）,基于Bray-Curtis距离的主坐标分析（PCoA）图显示两组人群的样本分布没有明显分离（相似性分析：r=-0.0296,P>0.05）,LEfSe分析显示与性别分组有关的细菌很少。30-39岁、40-49岁和50-59岁三组人群的物种丰富度和多样性差异都无统计学意义（均P>0.05）,基于Bray-Curtis距离的PCoA图显示三组人群的样本分布没有明显分离（相似性分析：r=0.0109,P>0.05）,LEfSe分析显示几乎没有与年龄分组有关的细菌。结论山西省健康人群的肠道菌群更倾向分为两种肠型（拟杆菌型和普氏菌型）。性别对肠道菌群组成可能没有显著影响,30-59岁人群的肠道菌群组成比较稳定     

肠道微生物多样性与能量代谢调控及肥胖关系的研究进展

肠道微生物与宿主之间相互选择,构成了一个相对稳定的超有机体。宿主基因型和遗传关系影响肠道微生物的生态学特征,而肠道微生物发酵肠道内多糖,为宿主提供可吸收利用的养分,增强肠道对养分吸收的能力。同时,肠道微生物还影响一些转录因子的活性,调控宿主基因的表达,增强宿主甘油三酯的合成和脂肪沉积,减少脂肪酸氧化分解,调控宿主能量代谢。     

肠道菌群与肥胖关系的研究进展

西方化的高脂饮食方式造成了越来越多的肥胖人群。高脂饮食在一定程度上可以改变肠道菌群的结构组成和功能,促进宿主对食物营养的吸收,从而增加体重形成肥胖。高脂饮食诱导的肥胖者肠道菌群的改变会导致宿主能量吸收增加,肠道通透性和炎症增加,而有减肥功能的短链脂肪酸合成能力下降。最近研究发现肠道菌群也可以通过影响中枢神经系统,尤其是下丘脑相关基因的表达来控制食欲,从而调控肥胖的形成。本文系统介绍了最近几年高脂饮食诱导肥胖的研究,总结了一些与肥胖形成有密切关系的肠道菌群以及其在肥胖形成中的作用机制,为进一步研究肠道菌群与肥胖之间的调控作用奠定了基础。最后总结了肠道菌群可以作为一个预防和治疗肥胖的有效靶点,可以通过在食物中添加有益菌或者通过菌群移植来治疗肥胖。