scholarly journals FMT: A Potential Therapeutic and Rehabilitative Intervention for COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengqiong Liu ◽  
Shanliang Ye ◽  
Jingsu Wang ◽  
Xin Zhu ◽  
Yuanfei Liu ◽  
...  

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was outbreak in December 2019 Wuhan, China, has spread to more than 100 countries. In addition to respiratory symptoms, COVID-19 can also cause some digestive symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea. As a variety of respiratory diseases which are associated with a dysbiosis in both airway microbiota and the intestinal microbiota, COVID-19 may cause digestive symptoms through a constant cross-talk between the system which is known as the Gut-Lung Axis. Additionally, lymphopenia and hypercytokinemia were also common in COVID-19 patients which suggest that COVID-19 could compromise the immune system. Given the fact that gut microbiota not only could maintain immune homeostasis and immune responses at local mucosal surfaces, but also has distal protective effects and protect against respiratory virus. FMT is an effective way to enhance immunity and would be a potential therapy for individuals with viral infection. However, currently no direct clinical evidence proved that modulation of gut microbiota has the therapeutic role in treatment of COVID-19, from the perspective of microbiota and immunity after viral infection, we speculate that targeting gut microbiota might be a new therapeutic option or at least adjuvant therapeutic choice. In this Personal View, we describe the five aspects: COVID-19 and compromised immunity system, Microbiota, immune system and viral infection, FMT, immunity and virus infection, potential application of FMT in the treatment of COVID-19.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-55
Author(s):  
Kristen A. Engevik ◽  
Melinda A. Engevik

The lumen of the gastrointestinal tract harbors a diverse community of microbes, fungi, archaea, and viruses. In addition to occupying the same enteric niche, recent evidence suggests that microbes and viruses can act synergistically and, in some cases, promote disease. In this review, we focus on the disease-promoting interactions of the gut microbiota and rotavirus, norovirus, poliovirus, reovirus, and astrovirus. Microbes and microbial compounds can directly interact with viruses, promote viral fitness, alter the glycan structure of viral adhesion sites, and influence the immune system, among other mechanisms. These interactions can directly and indirectly affect viral infection. By focusing on microbe–virus interplay, we hope to identify potential strategies for targeting offending microbes and minimizing viral infection.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 2090
Author(s):  
Hui-Fang Chiu ◽  
Kamesh Venkatakrishnan ◽  
Oksana Golovinskaia ◽  
Chin-Kun Wang

Polyphenols are classified as an organic chemical with phenolic units that display an array of biological functions. However, polyphenols have very low bioavailability and stability, which make polyphenols a less bioactive compound. Many researchers have indicated that several factors might affect the efficiency and the metabolism (biotransformation) of various polyphenols, which include the gut microbiota, structure, and physical properties as well as its interactions with other dietary nutrients (macromolecules). Hence, this mini-review covers the two-way interaction between polyphenols and gut microbiota (interplay) and how polyphenols are metabolized (biotransformation) to produce various polyphenolic metabolites. Moreover, the protective effects of numerous polyphenols and their metabolites against various gastrointestinal disorders/diseases including gastritis, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn’s disease (CD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) like celiac disease (CED) are discussed. For this review, the authors chose only a few popular polyphenols (green tea polyphenol, curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin), and a discussion of their proposed mechanism underpinning the gastroprotection was elaborated with a special focus on clinical evidence. Overall, this contribution would help the general population and science community to identify a potent polyphenol with strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, prebiotic, and immunomodulatory properties to combat various gut-related diseases or disorders (complementary therapy) along with modified lifestyle pattern and standard gastroprotective drugs. However, the data from clinical trials are much limited and hence many large-scale clinical trials should be performed (with different form/metabolites and dose) to confirm the gastroprotective activity of the above-mentioned polyphenols and their metabolites before recommendation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravichandra Vemuri ◽  
Rohit Gundamaraju ◽  
Madhur D. Shastri ◽  
Shakti Dhar Shukla ◽  
Krishnakumar Kalpurath ◽  
...  

Gut microbiota is established during birth and evolves with age, mostly maintaining the commensal relationship with the host. A growing body of clinical evidence suggests an intricate relationship between the gut microbiota and the immune system. With ageing, the gut microbiota develops significant imbalances in the major phyla such as the anaerobic Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes as well as a diverse range of facultative organisms, resulting in impaired immune responses. Antimicrobial therapy is commonly used for the treatment of infections; however, this may also result in the loss of normal gut flora. Advanced age, antibiotic use, underlying diseases, infections, hormonal differences, circadian rhythm, and malnutrition, either alone or in combination, contribute to the problem. This nonbeneficial gastrointestinal modulation may be reversed by judicious and controlled use of antibiotics and the appropriate use of prebiotics and probiotics. In certain persistent, recurrent settings, the option of faecal microbiota transplantation can be explored. The aim of the current review is to focus on the establishment and alteration of gut microbiota, with ageing. The review also discusses the potential role of gut microbiota in regulating the immune system, together with its function in healthy and diseased state.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Néstor de la Visitación ◽  
Iñaki Robles-Vera ◽  
Marta Toral ◽  
Juan Duarte

The prevalence of renal and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is higher than in general populations. Recently, a causal role of gut microbiota on the development of immune responses in SLE has been described. Probiotic consumption changes the composition of gut microbiota, preventing SLE progression. The aim of this review is to explore the role of the gut microbiota in the development of renal and cardiovascular disease in SLE and how probiotics could be a therapeutic option. Despite strong evidence on the beneficial effects of probiotics in the development of autoimmunity and nephritis in SLE, only a few studies described the protective effects of Lactobacillus in important risk factors for CVD, such as endothelial dysfunction and hypertension in mice. The preventive effects of probiotics in renal and CVD in humans have not been established yet.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 785-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abedin Abdallah ◽  
Evera Elemba ◽  
Qingzhen Zhong ◽  
Zewei Sun

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of humans and animals is host to a complex community of different microorganisms whose activities significantly influence host nutrition and health through enhanced metabolic capabilities, protection against pathogens, and regulation of the gastrointestinal development and immune system. New molecular technologies and concepts have revealed distinct interactions between the gut microbiota and dietary amino acids (AAs) especially in relation to AA metabolism and utilization in resident bacteria in the digestive tract, and these interactions may play significant roles in host nutrition and health as well as the efficiency of dietary AA supplementation. After the protein is digested and AAs and peptides are absorbed in the small intestine, significant levels of endogenous and exogenous nitrogenous compounds enter the large intestine through the ileocaecal junction. Once they move in the colonic lumen, these compounds are not markedly absorbed by the large intestinal mucosa, but undergo intense proteolysis by colonic microbiota leading to the release of peptides and AAs and result in the production of numerous bacterial metabolites such as ammonia, amines, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs), hydrogen sulfide, organic acids, and phenols. These metabolites influence various signaling pathways in epithelial cells, regulate the mucosal immune system in the host, and modulate gene expression of bacteria which results in the synthesis of enzymes associated with AA metabolism. This review aims to summarize the current literature relating to how the interactions between dietary amino acids and gut microbiota may promote host nutrition and health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 509-526
Author(s):  
Qin Huang ◽  
Fang Yu ◽  
Di Liao ◽  
Jian Xia

: Recent studies implicate microbiota-brain communication as an essential factor for physiology and pathophysiology in brain function and neurodevelopment. One of the pivotal mechanisms about gut to brain communication is through the regulation and interaction of gut microbiota on the host immune system. In this review, we will discuss the role of microbiota-immune systeminteractions in human neurological disorders. The characteristic features in the development of neurological diseases include gut dysbiosis, the disturbed intestinal/Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) permeability, the activated inflammatory response, and the changed microbial metabolites. Neurological disorders contribute to gut dysbiosis and some relevant metabolites in a top-down way. In turn, the activated immune system induced by the change of gut microbiota may deteriorate the development of neurological diseases through the disturbed gut/BBB barrier in a down-top way. Understanding the characterization and identification of microbiome-immune- brain signaling pathways will help us to yield novel therapeutic strategies by targeting the gut microbiome in neurological disease.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryohei Nishiguchi ◽  
Srijani Basu ◽  
Hannah A Staab ◽  
Naotake Ito ◽  
Xi Kathy Zhou ◽  
...  

Abstract Diet is believed to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. High consumption of dietary fructose has been shown to exacerbate experimental colitis, an effect mediated through the gut microbiota. This study evaluated whether dietary alterations could attenuate the detrimental effects of a high fructose diet (HFrD) in experimental colitis. First, we determined whether the pro-colitic effects of a HFrD could be reversed by switching mice from a HFrD to a control diet. This diet change completely prevented HFrD-induced worsening of acute colitis, in association with a rapid normalization of the microbiota. Second, we tested the effects of dietary fiber, which demonstrated that psyllium was the most effective type of fiber for protecting against HFrD-induced worsening of acute colitis, compared to pectin, inulin or cellulose. In fact, supplemental psyllium nearly completely prevented the detrimental effects of the HFrD, an effect associated with a shift in the gut microbiota. We next determined whether the protective effects of these interventions could be extended to chronic colitis and colitis-associated tumorigenesis. Using the azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate model, we first demonstrated that HFrD feeding exacerbated chronic colitis and increased colitis-associated tumorigenesis. Using the same dietary changes tested in the acute colitis setting, we also showed that mice were protected from HFrD-mediated enhanced chronic colitis and tumorigenesis, upon either diet switching or psyllium supplementation. Taken together, these findings suggest that high consumption of fructose may enhance colon tumorigenesis associated with long-standing colitis, an effect that could be reduced by dietary alterations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yueqin Qiu ◽  
Jun Yang ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
Xuefen Yang ◽  
Kaiguo Gao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a widespread mycotoxin that induces intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress in humans and animals. Resveratrol (RES) effectively exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. However, the protective effects of RES on alleviating DON toxicity in piglets and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of RES on growth performance, gut health and the gut microbiota in DON-challenged piglets. A total of 64 weaned piglets [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire), 21-d-old, 6.97 ± 0.10 kg body weight (BW)] were randomly allocated to 4 treatment groups (8 replicate pens per treatment, each pen containing 2 males; n = 16 per treatment) for 28 d. The piglets were fed a control diet (CON) or the CON diet supplemented with 300 mg RES/kg diet (RES group), 3.8 mg DON/kg diet (DON) or both (DON+RES) in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Results DON-challenged piglets fed the RES-supplemented diet had significantly decreased D-lactate concentrations and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) mRNA and protein expression, and increased zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) mRNA and protein expression compared with those of DON-challenged piglets fed the unsupplemented diet (P < 0.05). Compared with unsupplemented DON-challenged piglets, infected piglets fed a diet with RES showed significantly decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levelsand increased mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes and antioxidant genes (i.e., GCLC, GCLM, HO-1, SOD1 and NQO-1) and glutamate-cysteine-ligase modulatory subunit (GCLM) protein expression (P < 0.05). Moreover, RES supplementation significantly abrogated the increase in the proportion of TUNEL-positive cells and the protein expression of caspase3 in DON-challenged piglets (P < 0.05). Finally, RES supplementation significantly increased the abundance of Roseburia and butyrate concentrations, while decreasing the abundances of Bacteroides and unidentified-Enterobacteriaceae in DON-challenged piglets compared with DON-challenged piglets alone (P < 0.05). Conclusions RES supplementation improved gut health in DON-challenged piglets by strengthening intestinal barrier function, alleviating intestinal inflammation and oxidative damage, and positively modulating the gut microbiota. The protective effects of RES on gut health may be linked to increased Roseburia and butyrate concentrations, and decreased levels of Bacteroides and unidentified-Enterobacteriaceae.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 439
Author(s):  
Naila Boby ◽  
Muhammad Aleem Abbas ◽  
Eon-Bee Lee ◽  
Zi-Eum Im ◽  
Walter H. Hsu ◽  
...  

Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim (Korean pear) has been used for hundreds of years as a traditional herbal medicine for asthma, cough, and atopic dermatitis in Korea and China. Although it was originally shown to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiatopic properties, its gastroprotective effects have not been investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effects of Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim extract (PUE) against ethanol-induced gastritis in rats. The bioactive compound profile of PUE was determined by gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The gastroprotection of PUE at different doses (250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) prior to ethanol ingestion was evaluated using an in vivo gastritis rat model. Several endpoints were evaluated, including gastric mucosal lesions, cellular degeneration, intracellular damage, and immunohistochemical localization of leucocyte common antigen. The gastric mucosal injury and ulcer score were determined by evaluating the inflamed gastric mucosa and by histological examination. To identify the mechanisms of gastroprotection by PUE, antisecretory action and plasma prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), gastric mucosal cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and histamine levels were measured. PUE exhibited significant antioxidant effects with IC50 values of 56.18 and 22.49 µg/mL for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′- azino-di-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) inhibition (%), respectively. In addition, GC/MS and HPLC analyses revealed several bioactive compounds of PUE. Pretreatment with PUE significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the ulcer index by preventing gastric mucosal lesions, erosion, and cellular degeneration. An immunohistochemical analysis revealed that PUE markedly attenuated leucocyte infiltration in a dose-dependent manner. The enhancement of PGE2 levels and attenuation of cAMP levels along with the inhibition of histamine release following PUE pretreatment was associated with the cytoprotective and healing effects of PUE. In contrast, the downregulation of the H+/K+ ATPase pathway as well as muscarinic receptor (M3R) and histamine receptor (H2R) inhibition was also involved in the gastroprotective effects of PUE; however, the expression of cholecystokinin-2 receptors (CCK2R) was unchanged. Finally, no signs of toxicity were observed following PUE treatment. Based on our results, we conclude that PUE represents an effective therapeutic option to reduce the risk of gastritis and warrants further study.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document