Gut Microbiota-mediated Alleviation of Dextran Sulfate Sodium-induced Colitis in Mice.

Background and Aims

Gut dysbiosis characterized by an imbalanced microbiota is closely involved in the pathogenesis of a widespread gastrointestinal inflammatory disorder, inflammatory bowel disease. However, it is unclear how the complex intestinal microbiota affects development or resistant of mucosal inflammation. Our aim was to investigate the impact of the gut microbiota on susceptibility in a mouse model of ulcerative colitis.

Methods

We compared the susceptibility to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis of inbred BALB/c mice obtained from the 3 main distributors of laboratory animals in Japan. Clinical symptoms of the colitis and the faecal microbiota were assessed. Cohousing approach was used to identify whether the gut microbiota is a primary factor determining disease susceptibility.

Results

Here, we showed differences in the susceptibility of BALB/c mice from the vendors to DSS colitis. Analysis of the gut microbiota using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing revealed clear separation of the gut microbial composition among mice from the vendors. Notably, the abundance of the phylum

Conclusion

A BALB/c substrain that was resistant to DSS-induced colitis was observed, and the severity of DSS-induced colitis was mainly influenced by the gut microbiota. Targeting butyrate-producing bacteria could have therapeutic potential for ulcerative colitis.

Informations de copyright

© 2024 The Authors.