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Gut Microbiome Regulation of Immunity and Inflammation

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 October 2019) | Viewed by 20143

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Thomas T. Y. Wang

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Guest Editor

Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Interests: diet; cancer prevention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advances support that the human gut microbiota plays are critical role in the regulation of human health. Currently, the field is shifting from cataloging individual members of the commensal community to understanding their impact on host health and disease prevention. Emerging literature suggests that there is an interaction between the gut microbiome and the host immune system. However, the detailed mechanisms of the interaction as well as the impact of modifying the gut microbiome (such as diet) on the immune system remain unclear and warrant elucidation. We invite researchers to contribute original and review articles regarding the relationship between the gut microbiome, immunity and inflammation. We also welcome articles dealing with individual differences and system approaches that are consistent with the current emphasis on precision and individualized health care.

Dr. Thomas T. Y. Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

gut microbiome
immune regulation
inflammation
infection
human health
personalized medicine

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3507 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Early-Life Intervention Using Fecal Microbiota Combined with Probiotics Promotes Gut Microbiota Maturation, Regulates Immune System Development, and Alleviates Weaning Stress in Piglets

by Quanhang Xiang, Xiaoyu Wu, Ye Pan, Liu Wang, Chenbin Cui, Yuwei Guo, Lingling Zhu, Jian Peng and Hongkui Wei

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(2), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21020503 - 13 Jan 2020

Cited by 61 | Viewed by 5509

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that immune system development and weaning stress are closely related to the maturation of gut microbiota. The early-life period is a “window of opportunity” for microbial colonization, which potentially has a critical impact on the development of the immune system. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and probiotics are often used to regulate gut microbial colonization. This study aims to test whether early intervention with FMT using fecal microbiota from gestation sows combined with Clostridium butyricum and Saccharomyces boulardii (FMT-CS) administration could promote the maturation of gut microbiota and development of immune system in piglets. Piglets were assigned to control (n = 84) and FMT-CS treatment (n = 106), which were treated with placebo and bacterial suspension during the first three days after birth, respectively. By 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we found that FMT-CS increased the α-diversity and reduced the unweighted UniFrac distances of the OTU community. Besides, FMT-CS increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, while decreasing that of opportunistic pathogens. FMT-CS also enhanced the relative abundance of genes related to cofactors and vitamin, energy, and amino acid metabolisms during the early-life period. ELISA analysis revealed that FMT-CS gave rise to the plasma concentrations of IL-23, IL-17, and IL-22, as well as the plasma levels of anti-M.hyo and anti-PCV2 antibodies. Furthermore, the FMT-CS-treated piglets showed decreases in inflammation levels and oxidative stress injury, and improvement of intestinal barrier function after weaning as well. Taken together, our results suggest that early-life intervention with FMT-CS could promote the development of innate and adaptive immune system and vaccine efficacy, and subsequently alleviate weaning stress through promoting the maturation of gut microbiota in piglets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiome Regulation of Immunity and Inflammation)

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18 pages, 2381 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal Dietary Fiber Composition during Gestation Induces Changes in Offspring Antioxidative Capacity, Inflammatory Response, and Gut Microbiota in a Sow Model

by Yang Li, Haoyu Liu, Lijia Zhang, Yi Yang, Yan Lin, Yong Zhuo, Zhengfeng Fang, Lianqiang Che, Bin Feng, Shengyu Xu, Jian Li and De Wu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21010031 - 19 Dec 2019

Cited by 56 | Viewed by 3954

Abstract

To study the effects of maternal dietary fiber composition during gestation on offspring antioxidant capacity, inflammation, and gut microbiota composition, we randomly assigned 64 gilts to four treatments and administered diets with an insoluble/soluble fiber ratio of 3.89 (R1), 5.59 (R2), 9.12 (R3), and 12.81 (R4). Sow samples (blood and feces at gestation 110) and neonatal samples (blood, liver, and colonic contents) were collected. The results showed that sows and piglets in R1 and R2 had higher antioxidant enzyme activity and lower pro-inflammatory factor levels than those in R3 and R4. Moreover, piglets in R1 and R2 had higher liver mRNA expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 and lower NF-κB than piglets in R4. Interestingly, maternal fiber composition not only affected the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in sow feces but also influenced the concentrations of SCFAs in the neonatal colon. Results of high-throughput sequencing showed that piglets as well as sows in R1 and R2 had microbial community structures distinct from those in R3 and R4. Therefore, the composition of dietary fiber in pregnancy diet had an important role in improving antioxidant capacity and decreasing inflammatory response of mothers and their offspring through modulating the composition of gut microbiota. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiome Regulation of Immunity and Inflammation)

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Review

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15 pages, 934 KiB

Open AccessReview

Implications of Diet and The Gut Microbiome in Neuroinflammatory and Neurodegenerative Diseases

by Sarah Hirschberg, Barbara Gisevius, Alexander Duscha and Aiden Haghikia

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(12), 3109; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20123109 - 25 Jun 2019

Cited by 72 | Viewed by 10212

Abstract

Within the last century, human lifestyle and dietary behaviors have changed dramatically. These changes, especially concerning hygiene, have led to a marked decrease in some diseases, i.e., infectious diseases. However, other diseases that can be attributed to the so-called ‘Western’ lifestyle have increased, i.e., metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. More recently, multifactorial disorders, such as autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, have been associated with changes in diet and the gut microbiome. In particular, short chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria are of high interest. SCFAs are the main metabolites produced by bacteria and are often reduced in a dysbiotic state, causing an inflammatory environment. Based on advanced technologies, high-resolution investigations of the abundance and composition of the commensal microbiome are now possible. These techniques enable the assessment of the relationship between the gut microbiome, its metabolome and gut-associated immune and neuronal cells. While a growing number of studies have shown the indirect impact of gut metabolites, mediated by alterations of immune-mediated mechanisms, the direct influence of these compounds on cells of the central nervous system needs to be further elucidated. For instance, the SCFA propionic acid (PA) increases the amount of intestine-derived regulatory T cells, which furthermore can positively affect the central nervous system (CNS), e.g., by increasing remyelination. However, the question of if and how PA can directly interact with CNS-resident cells is a matter of debate. In this review, we discuss the impact of an altered microbiome composition in relation to various diseases and discuss how the commensal microbiome is shaped, starting from the beginning of human life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiome Regulation of Immunity and Inflammation)

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