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Ergang P, Vagnerová K, Hermanová P, Vodička M, Jágr M, Šrůtková D, Dvořáček V, Hudcovic T, Pácha J. The Gut Microbiota Affects Corticosterone Production in the Murine Small Intestine. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084229. [PMID: 33921780 PMCID: PMC8073041 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are hormones that are released in response to stressors and exhibit many activities, including immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities. They are primarily synthesized in the adrenal gland but are also produced in peripheral tissues via regeneration of adrenal 11-oxo metabolites or by de novo synthesis from cholesterol. The present study investigated the influence of the microbiota on de novo steroidogenesis and regeneration of corticosterone in the intestine of germ-free (GF) and specific pathogen-free mice challenged with a physical stressor (anti-CD3 antibody i.p. injection). In the small intestine, acute immune stress resulted in increased mRNA levels of the proinflammatory cytokines IL1β, IL6 and Tnfα and genes involved in de novo steroidogenesis (Stard3 and Cyp11a1), as well as in regeneration of active GCs from their 11-oxo metabolites (Hsd11b1). GF mice showed a generally reduced transcriptional response to immune stress, which was accompanied by decreased intestinal corticosterone production and reduced expression of the GC-sensitive marker Fkbp5. In contrast, the interaction between stress and the microbiota was not detected at the level of plasma corticosterone or the transcriptional response of adrenal steroidogenic enzymes. The results indicate a differential immune stress-induced intestinal response to proinflammatory stimuli and local corticosterone production driven by the gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Ergang
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (P.E.); (K.V.); (M.V.)
| | - Karla Vagnerová
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (P.E.); (K.V.); (M.V.)
| | - Petra Hermanová
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-549 22 Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic; (P.H.); (D.Š.); (T.H.)
| | - Martin Vodička
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (P.E.); (K.V.); (M.V.)
| | - Michal Jágr
- Crop Research Institute, CZ-161 06 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.J.); (V.D.)
| | - Dagmar Šrůtková
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-549 22 Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic; (P.H.); (D.Š.); (T.H.)
| | - Václav Dvořáček
- Crop Research Institute, CZ-161 06 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.J.); (V.D.)
| | - Tomáš Hudcovic
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-549 22 Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic; (P.H.); (D.Š.); (T.H.)
| | - Jiří Pácha
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; (P.E.); (K.V.); (M.V.)
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, CZ-128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
- Correspondence:
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Moolla A, de Boer J, Pavlov D, Amin A, Taylor A, Gilligan L, Hughes B, Ryan J, Barnes E, Hassan‐Smith Z, Grove J, Aithal GP, Verrijken A, Francque S, Van Gaal L, Armstrong MJ, Newsome PN, Cobbold JF, Arlt W, Biehl M, Tomlinson JW. Accurate non-invasive diagnosis and staging of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease using the urinary steroid metabolome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2020; 51:1188-1197. [PMID: 32298002 PMCID: PMC8150165 DOI: 10.1111/apt.15710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of accurate, non-invasive markers to diagnose and stage non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is critical to reduce the need for an invasive liver biopsy and to identify patients who are at the highest risk of hepatic and cardio-metabolic complications. Disruption of steroid hormone metabolic pathways has been described in patients with NAFLD. AIM(S) To assess the hypothesis that assessment of the urinary steroid metabolome may provide a novel, non-invasive biomarker strategy to stage NAFLD. METHODS We analysed the urinary steroid metabolome in 275 subjects (121 with biopsy-proven NAFLD, 48 with alcohol-related cirrhosis and 106 controls), using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) coupled with machine learning-based Generalised Matrix Learning Vector Quantisation (GMLVQ) analysis. RESULTS Generalised Matrix Learning Vector Quantisation analysis achieved excellent separation of early (F0-F2) from advanced (F3-F4) fibrosis (AUC receiver operating characteristics [ROC]: 0.92 [0.91-0.94]). Furthermore, there was near perfect separation of controls from patients with advanced fibrotic NAFLD (AUC ROC = 0.99 [0.98-0.99]) and from those with NAFLD cirrhosis (AUC ROC = 1.0 [1.0-1.0]). This approach was also able to distinguish patients with NAFLD cirrhosis from those with alcohol-related cirrhosis (AUC ROC = 0.83 [0.81-0.85]). CONCLUSIONS Unbiased GMLVQ analysis of the urinary steroid metabolome offers excellent potential as a non-invasive biomarker approach to stage NAFLD fibrosis as well as to screen for NAFLD. A highly sensitive and specific urinary biomarker is likely to have clinical utility both in secondary care and in the broader general population within primary care and could significantly decrease the need for liver biopsy.
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Vodička M, Ergang P, Hrnčíř T, Mikulecká A, Kvapilová P, Vagnerová K, Šestáková B, Fajstová A, Hermanová P, Hudcovic T, Kozáková H, Pácha J. Microbiota affects the expression of genes involved in HPA axis regulation and local metabolism of glucocorticoids in chronic psychosocial stress. Brain Behav Immun 2018; 73:615-624. [PMID: 29990567 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The commensal microbiota affects brain functioning, emotional behavior and ACTH and corticosterone responses to acute stress. However, little is known about the role of the microbiota in shaping the chronic stress response in the peripheral components of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and in the colon. Here, we studied the effects of the chronic stress-microbiota interaction on HPA axis activity and on the expression of colonic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) system, cytokines and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11HSD1), an enzyme that determines locally produced glucocorticoids. Using specific pathogen-free (SPF) and germ-free (GF) BALB/c mice, we showed that the microbiota modulates emotional behavior in social conflicts and the response of the HPA axis, colon and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) to chronic psychosocial stress. In the pituitary gland, microbiota attenuated the expression of Fkbp5, a gene regulating glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity, while in the adrenal gland, it attenuated the expression of genes encoding steroidogenesis (MC2R, StaR, Cyp11a1) and catecholamine synthesis (TH, PNMT). The pituitary expression of CRH receptor type 1 (CRHR1) and of proopiomelanocortin was not influenced by microbiota. In the colon, the microbiota attenuated the expression of 11HSD1, CRH, urocortin UCN2 and its receptor, CRHR2, but potentiated the expression of cytokines TNFα, IFNγ, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13 and IL-17, with the exception of IL-1β. Compared to GF mice, chronic stress upregulated in SPF animals the expression of pituitary Fkbp5 and colonic CRH and UCN2 and downregulated the expression of colonic cytokines. Differences in the stress responses of both GF and SPF animals were also observed when immunophenotype of MLN cells and their secretion of cytokines were analyzed. The data suggest that the presence of microbiota/intestinal commensals plays an important role in shaping the response of peripheral tissues to stress and indicates possible pathways by which the environment can interact with glucocorticoid signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Vodička
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - P Ergang
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - T Hrnčíř
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic
| | - A Mikulecká
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - P Kvapilová
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - K Vagnerová
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - B Šestáková
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic
| | - A Fajstová
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - P Hermanová
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic
| | - T Hudcovic
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic
| | - H Kozáková
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic
| | - J Pácha
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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