Maternal Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation shifts the intestinal microbiome in mice and provides protection from experimental colitis in female offspring

Early life factors, diet and microbiome, and risk of inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), result from a loss of immune tolerance to gut microbiota, leading to inflammation. Their incidence is increasing, especially in newly industrialized countries. The etiology is multifactorial, involving genetic, immune, microbiota, and environmental factors. Maternal microbiome changes during pregnancy can elevate IBD risk in offspring, influenced by diet, smoking, and antibiotic exposure. Early life microbiota manipulation shows promise for preventing IBD. Epidemiological and pre-clinical studies highlight diet's significant role in IBD development. High-inflammatory dietary patterns correlate with increased CD risk, while Mediterranean-like diets promote beneficial gut microbiome changes and reduce inflammation. Certain food additives, such as emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners, may exacerbate IBD by altering gut microbiota. A systematic review indicates that higher ultra-processed food consumption significantly increases CD risk. Lifestyle modifications, including healthy dietary adherence, could substantially reduce IBD risk, with studies showing that favorable choices can halve the risk in genetically predisposed individuals. Additionally, maternal diet impacts offspring IBD risk, as seen in mouse models where high-fat diets led to increased inflammation. Evidence suggests that maternal probiotics and specific dietary patterns may mitigate these risks. Overall, these findings emphasize the potential for dietary interventions to modulate gut microbiota and immune responses, offering promising avenues for IBD prevention and management. Further large-scale studies are needed to explore the impact of dietary strategies on IBD risk and gut health.

Evaluating the Therapeutic Efficacy of Lactobacillus Strains in the Management of Ulcerative Colitis: An Overview of Recent Advances

Ulcerative Colitis (UC) known as a sub-category of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) is a longterm condition that causes inflammation, irritation, and ulcers in the colon and rectum. Though the precise pathogenesis of UC is not fully understood yet, impaired immune responses and imbalanced intestinal microbiome composition have been regarded as two main key players in colitis pathobiology. As conventional treatments are challenged with limitations and side effects, finding a new therapeutic approach has gained increasing attention. Probiotic bacteria with multifunctional health-promoting properties have been considered novel therapeutic options. There is strong evidence indicating that probiotics exert their therapeutic effects mostly by regulating immune system responses and restoring gut microbiome homeostasis. These results validate the rationale behind the clinical application of probiotics in UC management whether prescribed alone or in combination with conventional therapy. This article explores the pathogenesis of UC, concentrating on the influence of immune dysregulation and intestinal microbiome imbalances. Also, it reviews recent in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies that have demonstrated the efficacy of Lactobacillus species in decreasing UC symptoms by modifying immune responses, restoring gut microbiota balance, and promoting intestinal barrier function.

Maternal Lactobacillus johnsonii supplementation attenuates hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal mice through microbiota regulation

BACKGROUND

Supplemental oxygen impairs lung development in premature infants with respiratory distress. This study investigated the effects of maternal Lactobacillus johnsonii supplementation on hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal mice.

METHODS

Pregnant C57BL/6 mice received L. johnsonii in normal saline (NS) from gestational days 16-21. Control pregnant mice received an equal volume of NS. After birth, the pups were exposed to hyperoxia (O2) or room air (RA) for 1 week. Four groups were studied: NS + RA, probiotic + RA, NS + O2, and probiotic + O2. On postnatal day 7, the lung and intestinal microbiota were sampled, and the right lung was analyzed.

RESULTS

Compared to the NS + RA, probiotic + RA, and probiotic + O2 groups, the NS + O2 group exhibited significantly lower body weight, lung vascular density, and more significant mean linear intercept, IL-6, and 8-OHdG. In the genus level of gut microbiota, the NS + O2 group showed considerably more Staphylococcus and less Lactobacillus than the other three groups. The outcomes showed that in neonatal mice exposed to hyperoxia, maternal L. johnsonii supplementation improved lung development, decreased IL-6 and 8-OHdG levels, and restored gut microbiota.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal L. johnsonii supplementation reduced lung inflammation and improved lung development in hyperoxia-exposed neonatal mice. The mechanism may be related to the gut microbiota, as L. johnsonii improved gut microbiota communities and regulated dysregulated metabolic pathways.

Current research progress, opportunities, and challenges of Limosillactobacillus reuteri-based probiotic dietary strategies

Limosillactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri), a type of Lactobacillus spp., stands out as the most extensively researched probiotic. Its remarkable intestinal adhesion has led to widespread applications in both the food and medical sectors. Notably, recent research highlights the probiotic efficacy of L. reuteri sourced from breast milk, particularly in influencing social behavior and mitigating atopic dermatitis. In this review, our emphasis is on surveying recent literature regarding the promotion of host's health by L. reuteri. We aim to provide a concise summary of the latest regulatory effects and potential mechanisms attributed to L. reuteri in the realms of metabolism, brain- and immune-related functions. The mechanism through which L. reuteri promotes host health by modulating the intestinal microenvironment primarily involves promoting intestinal epithelial renewal, bolstering intestinal barrier function, regulating gut microbiota and its metabolites, and suppressing inflammation and immune responses. Additionally, this review delves into new technologies, identifies shortcomings, and addresses challenges in current L. reuteri research. Finally, the application prospects of L. reuteri are provided. Therefore, a better understanding of the role and mechanisms of L. reuteri will contribute significantly to the development of new probiotic functional foods and enable precise, targeted interventions for various diseases.

Microbiome depiction through user-adapted bioinformatic pipelines and parameters

Introduction. The role of the microbiome in health and disease continues to be increasingly recognized. However, there is significant variability in the bioinformatic protocols for analysing genomic data. This, in part, has impeded the potential incorporation of microbiomics into the clinical setting and has challenged interstudy reproducibility. In microbial compositional analysis, there is a growing recognition for the need to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to data processing.Gap Statement. Few evidence-based recommendations exist for setting parameters of programs that infer microbiota community profiles despite these parameters significantly impacting the accuracy of taxonomic inference.Aim. To compare three commonly used programs (DADA2, QIIME2, and mothur) and optimize them into four user-adapted pipelines for processing paired-end amplicon reads. We aim to increase the accuracy of compositional inference and help standardize microbiomic protocol.Methods. Two key parameters were isolated across four pipelines: filtering sequence reads based on a whole-number error threshold (maxEE) and truncating read ends based on a quality score threshold (QTrim). Closeness of sample inference was then evaluated using a mock community of known composition.Results. We observed that raw genomic data lost were proportionate to how stringently parameters were set. Exactly how much data were lost varied by pipeline. Accuracy of sample inference correlated with increased sequence read retention. Falsely detected taxa and unaccounted for microbial constituents were unique to pipeline and parameter. Implementation of optimized parameter values led to better approximation of the known mock community.Conclusions. Microbial compositions generated based on the 16S rRNA marker gene should be interpreted with caution. To improve microbial community profiling, bioinformatic protocols must be user-adapted. Analysis should be performed with consideration for the select target amplicon, pipelines and parameters used, and taxa of interest.

Probiotics for the treatment of ulcerative colitis: a review of experimental research from 2018 to 2022

Ulcerative colitis (UC) has become a worldwide public health problem, and the prevalence of the disease among children has been increasing. The pathogenesis of UC has not been elucidated, but dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is considered the main cause of chronic intestinal inflammation. This review focuses on the therapeutic effects of probiotics on UC and the potential mechanisms involved. In animal studies, probiotics have been shown to alleviate symptoms of UC, including weight loss, diarrhea, blood in the stool, and a shortened colon length, while also restoring intestinal microecological homeostasis, improving gut barrier function, modulating the intestinal immune response, and attenuating intestinal inflammation, thereby providing theoretical support for the development of probiotic-based microbial products as an adjunctive therapy for UC. However, the efficacy of probiotics is influenced by factors such as the bacterial strain, dose, and form. Hence, the mechanisms of action need to be investigated further. Relevant clinical trials are currently lacking, so the extension of animal experimental findings to clinical application requires a longer period of consideration for validation.

Cherry juice alleviates high-fat diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6J mice by resolving gut microbiota dysbiosis and regulating microRNA

Cherry is a nutrient-rich food that is good for health. This study demonstrated the inhibitory action of dietary cherry juice on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice. Cherry juice intervention significantly decreased body weight, fat contents, and blood lipid levels in obese mice. The overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines was suppressed by dietary cherry juice, which was accompanied by the elevation of tight junction proteins to maintain intestinal barrier. Moreover, dietary cherry juice restored the decreased production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) by regulating the composition and abundance of gut microbiota. In addition, dietary cherry juice also suppressed the expression of some microRNAs associated with obesity such as miR-200c-3p, miR-125a-5p, miR-132-3p, and miR-223-3p and target proteins related with microRNAs in the inguinal or epididymal white tissue in the obese mice. These results offer a fresh perspective on cherry juice's role in the prevention of obesity caused by the HFD.

Increased number of children in households may protect against inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND

The increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) around the world has coincided with a wide array of environmental and epidemiologic changes. The relationship between IBD incidence and household or family size decline, however, has not been examined before. Our background epidemiological analyses suggested an inverse association between household size and IBD incidence. We aimed to examine this further in a murine model.

METHODS

We designed a unique two-generation cohousing model of family size and IBD susceptibility in C57BL/6J mice. Serial fecal microbiomes during cohousing were examined by high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. After cohousing for 10 days, mice were exposed to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to induce acute colitis. Body weight as a significant correlate of colitis severity was measured.

RESULTS

Mice in a large household arrangement demonstrated less weight loss than mice in the small household arrangement in the DSS model. Age- and housing-dependent microbiome shifts were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Larger households may be protective against intestinal inflammation through intergenerational microbiome modulation. Our observations may set the foundation for age-dependent, microbiome-directed future prevention against IBD.

IMPACT

Epidemiological analyses in this study suggested that IBD incidence may inversely correlate with household size (an indicator of family size/children per family), which has not been examined before. A uniquely designed two-generation cohousing model of family size and IBD susceptibility in mice supported our epidemiologic observations. Microbiome changes in our cohousing model may set the foundation for age-dependent, microbiome-directed prevention against IBD.

Disturbed Pediatric Gut Microbiome Maturation in the Developmental Origins of Subsequent Chronic Disease

The microbiome is known to play an important role in the development and maintenance of human health. During early childhood the gut microbiome undergoes a rapid evolution, making this developmental window most susceptible to microbial manipulation and, therefore, most vulnerable to environmental stimuli. Such stimuli may induce persistent alterations (or dysbiosis) in microbiome and/or host physiology, thereby resulting in susceptibility to subsequent disease development. This phenomenon is frequently described as "the microbial developmental origins of disease." In this topic of the month, we call attention to the microbial developmental origins of disease by examining the potential for childhood antibiotic exposures and appendectomy (ie, inducers of dysbiosis) to influence the pathogenesis of certain multifactorial, common diseases (eg, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity), especially those with increasing incidence worldwide. We conclude that fully appreciating the critical components in the microbial developmental origins of common chronic disorders is a major task ahead of pediatric gastroenterologists in the 21st century. Such information will be key in working to prevent numerous common and emerging disorders.

Limosilactobacillus reuteri normalizes blood-brain barrier dysfunction and neurodevelopment deficits associated with prenatal exposure to lipopolysaccharide

Maternal immune activation (MIA) derived from late gestational infection such as seen in chorioamnionitis poses a significantly increased risk for neurodevelopmental deficits in the offspring. Manipulating early microbiota through maternal probiotic supplementation has been shown to be an effective means to improve outcomes; however, the mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that MIA modeled by exposing pregnant dams to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced an underdevelopment of the blood vessels, an increase in permeability and astrogliosis of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) at prewean age. The BBB developmental and functional deficits early in life impaired spatial learning later in life. Maternal Limosilactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) supplementation starting at birth rescued the BBB underdevelopment and dysfunction-associated cognitive function. Maternal L. reuteri-mediated alterations in β-diversity of the microbial community and metabolic responses in the offspring provide mechanisms and potential targets for promoting BBB integrity and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Maternal Intake of Probiotics to Program Offspring Health

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Probiotics intake may be considered beneficial by prospective and pregnant mothers, but their effects on offspring development are incompletely understood. The purpose of this review was to examine recent pre-clinical and clinical studies to understand how maternal probiotics exposure affects offspring health outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Effects were investigated in the context of supporting offspring growth, intestinal health, and gut microbiota, preventing allergic diseases, supporting neurodevelopment, and preventing metabolic disorders in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Most human studies focused on infancy outcomes, whereas pre-clinical studies also examined outcomes at adolescence and young adulthood. While still understudied, both pre-clinical and clinical studies propose epigenetic modifications as an underlying mechanism. Optimal timing of intervention remains unclear. Administration of selected probiotics to mothers has programming potential for sustaining life-long health of offspring. Administration protocols, specific windows of susceptibility, and individual-specific responses need to be further studied.