scholarly journals The Nutritional Supplement L-Alpha Glycerylphosphorylcholine Promotes Atherosclerosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (24) ◽  
pp. 13477
Author(s):  
Zeneng Wang ◽  
Jennie Hazen ◽  
Xun Jia ◽  
Elin Org ◽  
Yongzhong Zhao ◽  
...  

L-alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC), a nutritional supplement, has been demonstrated to improve neurological function. However, a new study suggests that GPC supplementation increases incident stroke risk thus its potential adverse effects warrant further investigation. Here we show that GPC promotes atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic Apoe−/− mice. GPC can be metabolized to trimethylamine N-oxide, a pro-atherogenic agent, suggesting a potential molecular mechanism underlying the observed atherosclerosis progression. GPC supplementation shifted the gut microbial community structure, characterized by increased abundance of Parabacteroides, Ruminococcus, and Bacteroides and decreased abundance of Akkermansia, Lactobacillus, and Roseburia, as determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. These data are consistent with a reduction in fecal and cecal short chain fatty acids in GPC-fed mice. Additionally, we found that GPC supplementation led to an increased relative abundance of choline trimethylamine lyase (cutC)-encoding bacteria via qPCR. Interrogation of host inflammatory signaling showed that GPC supplementation increased expression of the proinflammatory effectors CXCL13 and TIMP-1 and activated NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways in human coronary artery endothelial cells. Finally, targeted and untargeted metabolomic analysis of murine plasma revealed additional metabolites associated with GPC supplementation and atherosclerosis. In summary, our results show GPC promotes atherosclerosis through multiple mechanisms and that caution should be applied when using GPC as a nutritional supplement.

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1641
Author(s):  
Xiao-Ling Zhang ◽  
Tian-Wei Xu ◽  
Xun-Gang Wang ◽  
Yuan-Yue Geng ◽  
Hong-Jin Liu ◽  
...  

Here we aimed to explore the change in yak gut microbiota after transferring yaks from grazing grassland to a feedlot, and determine their diet adaptation period. Five yaks were transferred from winter pasture to an indoor feedlot. Fecal samples were obtained from grazing (G) and feedlot feeding yaks at day 1 (D1), day 4 (D4), day 7 (D7), day 11 (D11), and day 16 (D16). The dynamic variation of the bacterial community was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that the yak gut microbial community structure underwent significant changes after diet transition. At the phylum and genus levels, most bacteria changed within D1–D11; however, no significant changes were observed from D11–D16. Furthermore, we used random forest to determine the key bacteria (at class level) disturbing gut micro-ecology. The relative abundance of the top four classes (Erysipelotrichia, Gammaproteobacteria, Saccharimonadia, and Coriobacteriia) was highest on D1–D4, and then decreased and plateaued over time. Our results demonstrated that an abrupt adjustment to a diet with high nutrition could influence the gut micro-ecology, which was stabilized within 16 days, thus providing insights into diet adaptation in the yak gut.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1727
Author(s):  
Viktoria Neubauer ◽  
Renee M. Petri ◽  
Elke Humer ◽  
Iris Kröger ◽  
Nicole Reisinger ◽  
...  

Starch-rich diets can cause subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in dairy cows with potentially different susceptibility according to lactation number. We wanted to evaluate the bacterial community and the fermentation end products in feces to study susceptibility to hindgut acidosis and dysbiosis. Sixteen dairy cows received a medium-concentrate diet (MC, 40% concentrate, 18.8% starch) for one week and a high-concentrate diet (HC, 60% concentrate, 27.7% starch, DM) for four weeks. Milk yield, dry-matter intake, chewing activity, ruminal pH, milk constituents, and fecal samples for short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), pH, and 16S rRNA-gene sequencing were investigated. The HC feeding caused a reduction in fecal pH, bacterial diversity and richness, an increase in total SCFA, and a separate phylogenetic clustering of MC and HC samples. Ruminal and fecal pH had fair correlation (r = 0.5). Cows in the second lactation (2ndL) had lower dry matter intake (DMI) than cows of third or fourth or more lactations (3rdL; ≥4 L), whereas DMI/kg body weight was lower for ≥4 L than for 2ndL and 3rdL cows. The mean ruminal pH was highest in ≥4 L, whereas the time spent below the SARA threshold was highest for 3rdL cows. The latter also had higher total SCFA in the feces. Our results suggest that hindgut dysbiosis is caused by increased substrate flow to the hindgut, but further investigations are needed to define hindgut acidosis. The 3rdL cows were most susceptible to rumen acidosis and hindgut dysbiosis due to high DMI level, but missing counter regulations, as suggested happening in 2ndL and ≥4 L cows.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Song ◽  
Lingzhi Li ◽  
Hongliang Huang ◽  
Keji Jiang ◽  
Fengying Zhang ◽  
...  

Intestinal bacterial communities are highly relevant to the digestion, nutrition, growth, reproduction, and a range of fitness in fish, but little is known about the gut microbial community in Antarctic fish. In this study, the composition of intestinal microbial community in four species of Antarctic fish was detected based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. As a result, 1 004 639 sequences were obtained from 13 samples identified into 36 phyla and 804 genera, in which Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Thermi, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla, and Rhodococcus, Thermus, Acinetobacter, Propionibacterium, Streptococcus, and Mycoplasma were the dominant genera. The number of common OTUs (operational taxonomic units) varied from 346 to 768, while unique OTUs varied from 84 to 694 in the four species of Antarctic fish. Moreover, intestinal bacterial communities in individuals of each species were not really similar, and those in the four species were not absolutely different, suggesting that bacterial communities might influence the physiological characteristics of Antarctic fish, and the common bacterial communities might contribute to the fish survival ability in extreme Antarctic environment, while the different ones were related to the living habits. All of these results could offer certain information for the future study of Antarctic fish physiological characteristics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Zhang ◽  
Shumin Wang ◽  
Xinyu Zhang ◽  
Kexin Zhang ◽  
Wenjuan Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background As a pervasive insect that transmits a variety of pathogens to humans and animals, the housefly has abundant and diverse microbial communities in its intestines. These gut microbes play an important role in the biology of insects and form a symbiotic relationship with the host insect. Alterations in the structure of the gut microbial community would affect larval development. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanism regulating the influence of specific bacteria on the development of housefly larvae. Methods For this study we selected the intestinal symbiotic bacterium Enterobacter hormaechei, which is beneficial to the growth and development of housefly larvae, and used it as a probiotic supplement in larval feed. 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology was used to explore the effect of E. hormaechei on the intestinal flora of housefly larvae, and plate confrontation experiments were performed to study the interaction between E. hormaechei and intestinal microorganisms. Results The composition of the gut microflora of the larvae changed after the larvae were fed E. hormaechei, with the abundance of Pseudochrobactrum, Enterobacter and Vagococcus increasing and that of Klebsiella and Bacillus decreasing. Analysis of the structure and interaction of larval intestinal flora revealed that E. hormaechei inhibited the growth of harmful bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Providencia stuartii and Providencia vermicola, and promoted the reproduction of beneficial bacteria. Conclusions Our study has explored the influence of specific beneficial bacteria on the intestinal flora of houseflies. The results of this study reveal the important role played by specific beneficial bacteria on the development of housefly larvae and provide insight for the development of sustained biological agents for housefly control through interference of gut microbiota. Graphical abstract


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min-Ting Lee ◽  
Henry H. Le ◽  
Elizabeth L. Johnson

AbstractFunctions of the gut microbiome have a growing number of implications for host metabolic health, with diet being one of the most significant influences on microbiome composition. Compelling links between diet and the gut microbiome suggest key roles for various macronutrients, including lipids, yet how individual classes of dietary lipids interact with the microbiome remain largely unknown. A class of lipids known as sphingolipids are bioactive components of most foods and are produced by prominent gut microbes. This makes sphingolipids intriguing candidates for shaping diet-microbiome interactions. Here, we use a click-chemistry based approach to track the incorporation of bioorthogonal dietary omega-alkynyl sphinganine (sphinganine alkyne – SAA) into the gut microbial community (Click). Identification of microbe and SAA-specific metabolic products was achieved by fluorescence-based sorting of SAA containing microbes (Sort), 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify the sphingolipid-interacting microbes (Seq), and comparative metabolomics to identify products of SAA assimilation by the microbiome (Spec). Together this approach, Click-Sort-Seq-Spec (ClickSSS), revealed that SAA-assimilation was nearly exclusively performed by gut Bacteroides, indicating that sphingolipid-producing bacteria play a major role in processing dietary sphinganine. Comparative metabolomics of cecal microbiota from SAA-treated mice showed conversion of SAA to a suite of dihydroceramides, consistent with metabolic activity via Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium. Additionally, other sphingolipid-interacting microbes were identified with a focus on an uncharacterized ability of Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium to metabolize dietary sphingolipids. Therefore, ClickSSS provides a platform to study the flux of virtually any alkyne-labeled metabolite in diet-microbiome interactions.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xizhong Du ◽  
Yun Xiang ◽  
Fangfang Lou ◽  
Pingguang Tu ◽  
Xiaojun Zhang ◽  
...  

Quail is raised throughout China for egg and meat production. To deeply understand the gastrointestinal microbial composition and metabolites of quail, the present study characterized the microbiota inhabiting five intestinal locations of eight-week-old quail using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and qPCR, and evaluated the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in each individual location using gas chromatography. The results showed that Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Deferribacteres were the five most abundant phyla in the intestinal tract of quail. Firmicutes was largely dominant (>95%) in the small intestine, whereas Bacteroidetes increased significantly in the cecum (19.19%) and colorectum (8.09%). At the genus level, Lactobacillus was predominant in almost all sections (>50%) except in the cecum (7.26%), where Megamonas, Faecalibacterium, and Bacteroides were dominant. qPCR data indicated that the population sizes of both the total bacteria and proportions of the Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Bacteroides group increased going from the proximal toward the distal end of the intestine in quail. The SCFA-producing bacterial genera Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, Alistipes, Blautia, Parabacteroides, and Clostridium were of higher richness in the cecum and colorectum, where, accordingly, more SCFAs were produced. These findings will be helpful for the future study of quail microbiology, as well as its relationship with productive performance and health.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 610
Author(s):  
Sandi L. Navarro ◽  
Lisa Levy ◽  
Keith R. Curtis ◽  
Johanna W. Lampe ◽  
Meredith A.J. Hullar

Glucosamine and chondroitin (G&C), typically taken for joint pain, are among the most frequently used specialty supplements by US adults. More recently, G&C have been associated with lower incidence of colorectal cancer in human observational studies and reduced severity of experimentally-induced ulcerative colitis in rodents. However, little is known about their effects on colon-related physiology. G&C are poorly absorbed and therefore metabolized by gut microbiota. G&C have been associated with changes in microbial structure, which may alter host response. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial in ten healthy adults to evaluate the effects of a common dose of G&C compared to placebo for 14 days on gut microbial community structure, measured by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the effect of G&C compared to placebo on fecal microbial alpha and beta diversity, seven phyla, and 137 genera. Nine genera were significantly different between interventions (False Discovery Rate < 0.05). Abundances of four Lachnospiraceae genera, two Prevotellaceae genera, and Desulfovibrio were increased after G&C compared to placebo, while Bifidobacterium and a member of the Christensenellaceae family were decreased. Our results suggest that G&C affect the composition of the gut microbiome which may have implications for therapeutic efficacy.


2020 ◽  
pp. jlr.RA120000950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min-Ting Lee ◽  
Henry H Le ◽  
Elizabeth L Johnson

Functions of the gut microbiome have a growing number of implications for host metabolic health, with diet being one of the most significant influences on microbiome composition. Compelling links between diet and the gut microbiome suggest key roles for various macronutrients, including lipids, yet how individual classes of dietary lipids interact with the microbiome remains largely unknown. Sphingolipids are bioactive components of most foods and are also produced by prominent gut microbes. This makes sphingolipids intriguing candidates for shaping diet–microbiome interactions. Here, we used a click chemistry–based approach to track the incorporation of bioorthogonal dietary omega-alkynyl sphinganine (sphinganine alkyne [SAA]) into the murine gut microbial community (Bioorthogonal labeling). We identified microbial and SAA-specific metabolic products through fluorescence-based sorting of SAA-containing microbes (Sort), 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify the sphingolipid-interacting microbes (Seq), and comparative metabolomics to identify products of SAA assimilation by the microbiome (Spec). Together, this approach, termed Bioorthogonal labeling-Sort-Seq-Spec (BOSSS), revealed that SAA assimilation is nearly exclusively performed by gut Bacteroides, indicating that sphingolipid-producing bacteria play a major role in processing dietary sphinganine. Comparative metabolomics of cecal microbiota from SAA-treated mice revealed conversion of SAA to a suite of dihydroceramides, consistent with metabolic activities of Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium. Additionally, other sphingolipid-interacting microbes were identified with a focus on an uncharacterized ability of Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium to metabolize dietary sphingolipids. We conclude that BOSSS provides a platform to study the flux of virtually any alkyne-labeled metabolite in diet–microbiome interactions.


2004 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1997-2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isao Yumoto ◽  
Kikue Hirota ◽  
Shingo Yamaga ◽  
Yoshinobu Nodasaka ◽  
Tsuneshirou Kawasaki ◽  
...  

In a screening campaign to isolate strains with the ability to remove the bad smell associated with animal faeces, strain MA001T was isolated from a soil sample obtained from Shizuoka prefecture, Japan. The isolate grew at pH 6–9 but not at pH 10. Cells were Gram-positive, straight rods with peritrichous flagella and produced ellipsoidal spores. The isolate was positive for catalase and oxidase tests but negative for indole production, deamination of phenylalanine and H2S production. The isolate did not produce acid from any carbohydrates tested and could not grow in more than 2 % NaCl. The DNA G+C content was 39·4 mol%. The cellular fatty acids profile consisted of significant amount of C15 branched-chain fatty acids, iso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that strain MA001T was closely related to Bacillus simplex and Bacillus psychrosaccharolyticus. DNA–DNA hybridization revealed a low relatedness of the isolate to several phylogenetically close neighbours (less than 9 %). On the basis of the phenotypic characteristics observed, phylogenetic data based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and DNA–DNA relatedness data, it is concluded that the isolate should be classified as representing a novel species, for which the name Bacillus asahii is proposed. The type strain is MA001T (=JCM 12112T=NCIMB 13969T).


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2005
Author(s):  
Venkata Vinay Kumar Bandarupalli ◽  
Benoit St-Pierre

The inclusion of starch-rich feedstuffs, a common practice in intensive ruminant livestock production systems, can result in ruminal acidosis, a condition that can severely impact animal performance and health. One of the main causes of acidosis is the rapid accumulation of ruminal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) resulting from the microbial digestion of starch. A greater understanding of ruminal bacterial amylolytic activities is therefore critical to improving mitigation of acidosis. To this end, our manuscript reports the identification of a candidate starch utilizer (OTU SD_Bt-00010) using batch culturing of bovine rumen fluid supplemented with starch. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomics analysis, SD_Bt-00010 is predicted to be a currently uncharacterized strain of Prevotella albensis. Annotation of de novo assembled contigs from metagenomic data not only identified sequences encoding for α-amylase enzymes, but also revealed the potential to metabolize xylan as an alternative substrate. Metagenomics also predicted that SCFA end products for SD_Bt-00010 would be acetate and formate, and further suggested that this candidate strain may be a lactate utilizer. Together, these results indicate that SD_Bt-00010 is an amylolytic symbiont with beneficial attributes for its ruminant host.


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