Gut microbiota and their relationship with circulating adipokines in an acute hepatic encephalopathy mouse model induced by surgical bile duct ligation

Various studies have shown the importance of the gut microbiota in human health. However, little is known about gut microbiome patterns and their effect on circulating adipo-myokine levels in hepatic encephalopathy (HE). We investigated the relationship between the gut microbiota and adipo-myokine levels using a mouse model of HE induced by surgical bile duct ligation (BDL).

Various studies have shown the importance of the gut microbiota in human health. However, little is known about gut microbiome patterns and their effect on circulating adipo-myokine levels in hepatic encephalopathy (HE). We investigated the relationship between the gut microbiota and adipo-myokine levels using a mouse model of HE induced by surgical bile duct ligation (BDL).

Overall, our results suggest that alteration of the gut microbiota in patients with HE may be closely correlated to the levels of adipo-myokines in the blood.

Wild-type C57BL/6J mice were subjected to sham surgery or BDL. Severe body weight loss, suppressed feed intake, and liver failure were observed in BDL mice compared with sham control mice. Additionally, changes in gut microbial communities and serum adipo-myokine levels were noted in BDL mice. In the BDL mouse gut, we identified 15 differentially abundant taxa including the phylum Verrucomicrobiota, the classes Actinomycetes and Verrucomicrobiae, the order Verrucomicrobiales, the families Akkermansiaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Rikenellaceae, and Oscillospiraceae, the genera Alistipes, Akkermansia, Muribaculum, and Phocaeicola, and the species Akkermansia muciniphila, Alistipes okayasuensis, and Muribaculum gordoncarteri by LEfSe analysis (LDA score≥4.0). Higher levels of certain adipo-myokines such as BDNF were detected in the serum of BDL mice. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that certain adipo-myokines (e.g., FSTL1) were positively correlated with the class Actinomycetes, the family Rikenellaceae, the genus Alistipes, and the species Alistipes okayasuensis. Interestingly, A. okayasuensis and M. gordoncarteri, recently isolated microbes, showed richness in the gut of BDL mice and demonstrated positive correlations with adipo-myokines such as FGF21. Conclusions: Overall, our results suggest that alteration of the gut microbiota in patients with HE may be closely correlated to the levels of adipo-myokines in the blood.