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Metabolites
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Role of Gut-Derived Metabolites in Health and Disease
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Role of Gut-Derived Metabolites in Health and Disease

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 8591

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Christoph Trautwein

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
M3 Research Center for Malignome, Metabolome and Microbiome, Faculty of Medicine University Tuebingen/Werner Siemens Imaging Center, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Interests: preclinical and clinical metabolomics; gut metabolites; host–microbiota interactions; metabolic phenotyping; nutrients; pro- and antibiotics; quantitative NMR and MS; MALDI imaging; microbiome; lipids
Dr. Caterina Lonati

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
Interests: metabolomics; nutrition; hepatology; cell metabolism; personalized medicine; ischemia/reperfusion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The human gut microbiome plays a crucial role in food digestion, in xenobiotic and drug metabolism, in the maintenance of the integrity of the gut mucosal barrier, and in the modulation of the host immune response against pathogens. These positive activities are significantly affected under dysbiosis and disrupted mucosa. Dysbiosis has been associated with chronic diseases ranging from gastrointestinal inflammatory and metabolic conditions to neurological, psychiatric, cardiovascular, and oncological disorders.

From a molecular point of view, bidirectional communication between the host and the gut microbiota mostly takes place through metabolites. Indeed, many microbially produced metabolites enter the bloodstream and affect host physiology, some of them in a good manner (e.g., serotonine), some of them in a bad one (e.g., TMAO). Conversely, nutrition-derived metabolites and lifestyle factors can reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and accordingly the production of health- or disease-associated metabolites.

Over the last decade, metabolomics has emerged as a key technology to interrogate cellular biochemistry and investigate its crosstalk with cellular signaling and phenotype reprogramming. Although little is still known, it has been elucidated that gut-derived metabolite concentrations are linked to healthy homeostasis or disease.

This Special Issue is devoted to the investigation of how gut microbiota-derived metabolites are involved in the onset and development of human diseases and what concentrations are physiological and which are pathological. Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following: host metabolomics in eubiosis vs. dysbiosis using human or animal studies; elucidation and evaluation of microbiota-derived metabolites in different host physiological and pathological states; and assessing the impact of dietary interventions on the microbiota metabolome and their potential to modulate microbiota composition and influence host metabolism.

In order to collate comprehensive and reproducible studies, we encourage the application of technologies such as NMR and mass spectrometry to absolutely quantify metabolites, e.g., in fecal water, blood serum, or tissue samples. Further, we are seeking the submission of papers that use imaging technologies (e.g., MALDI or DESI) to visualize microbial metabolites in crucial tissue such as the brain, liver, and pancreas, including cancer. Such highly precise data will help to integrate individual metabolomics and gut microbiota analysis into the concept of precision medicine, since the level of gut-derived metabolites can be readily triggered by dietary interventions or pro- and antibiotic drugs.

Dr. Christoph Trautwein
Dr. Caterina Lonati
Guest Editors

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. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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
  • host–microbiota interactions
  • metabolic phenotyping
  • nutrients
  • pro- and antibiotics
  • preclinical and clinical metabolomics
  • quantitative NMR and MS
  • MALDI imaging
  • metabolites
  • lipids

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 5945 KiB  
Article
The Severity of DSS-Induced Colitis Is Independent of the SCFA-FFAR2/3-GLP-1 Pathway Despite SCFAs Inducing GLP-1 Secretion via FFAR2/3
by Jenna Elizabeth Hunt, Charlotte Bayer Christiansen, Mohammad Yassin, Bolette Hartmann, Stefan Offermanns, Lars Ove Dragsted, Jens Juul Holst and Hannelouise Kissow
Metabolites 2024, 14(7), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14070395 - 20 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1758
Abstract
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are the major microbial metabolites produced from the fermentation of dietary fiber in the gut. They are recognised as secretagogues of the glucagon-like peptides, GLP-1 and GLP-2, likely mediated by the activation of free fatty acid receptors 2 and [...] Read more.
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are the major microbial metabolites produced from the fermentation of dietary fiber in the gut. They are recognised as secretagogues of the glucagon-like peptides, GLP-1 and GLP-2, likely mediated by the activation of free fatty acid receptors 2 and 3 (FFAR2 and 3) expressed on enteroendocrine L-cells. Fiber-deficient diets are associated with decreased intestinal function and decreased colonic GLP-1 and GLP-2 content. Here, we speculated that the lowered colonic GLP-1 observed following a fiber-free diet was a consequence of decreased SCFA production and a subsequent decrease in FFAR2/3 activation. Furthermore, we explored the consequences of a fiber-free diet followed by intestinal injury, and we mechanistically explored the SCFA-FFAR2/3-GLP-1 pathway to explain the increased severity. Colonic luminal content from mice fed either a fiber-free or chow diet were analysed for SCFA content by LC–MS. FFAR2/3 receptor contributions to SCFA-mediated colonic GLP-1 secretion were assessed in isolated perfused preparations of the colon from FFAR2/3 double knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. Colitis was induced by the delivery of 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) for 4 days in the drinking water of mice exposed to a fiber-free diet for 21 days. Colitis was induced by the delivery of 3% DSS for 7 days in FFAR2/3 KO mice. The removal of dietary fiber significantly decreased SCFA concentrations in the luminal contents of fiber-free fed mice compared to chow-fed mice. In the perfused colon, luminal SCFAs significantly increased colonic GLP-1 secretion in WT mice but not in FFAR2/3 KO mice. In the DSS-induced colitis model, the removal of dietary fiber increased the severity and prevented the recovery from intestinal injury. Additionally, colitis severity was similar in FFAR2/3 KO and WT mice after DSS application. In conclusion, the results confirm that the removal of dietary fiber is sufficient to decrease the colonic concentrations of SCFAs. Additionally, we show that a fiber-free diet predisposes the colon to increased intestinal injury, but this effect is independent of FFAR2 and FFAR3 signalling; therefore, it is unlikely that a fiber-free diet induces a decrease in luminal SCFAs and sensitivity to intestinal disease involves the SCFA-FFAR2/3-GLP-1 pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Gut-Derived Metabolites in Health and Disease)
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15 pages, 1170 KiB  
Article
Grape/Blueberry Anthocyanins and Their Gut-Derived Metabolites Attenuate LPS/Nigericin-Induced Inflammasome Activation by Inhibiting ASC Speck Formation in THP-1 Monocytes
by Inken Behrendt, Isabella Röder, Frank Will, Gabriela Michel, Elvira Friedrich, Daniela Grote, Zoe Martin, Hanna Pauline Dötzer, Mathias Fasshauer, Martin Speckmann and Sabine Kuntz
Metabolites 2024, 14(4), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14040203 - 3 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1795
Abstract
Inflammasomes are multi-protein complexes, which are formed in response to tissue injury, infections, and metabolic stress. However, aberrant inflammasome activation has been linked to several inflammatory diseases. Anthocyanins have been reported to attenuate NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, but the [...] Read more.
Inflammasomes are multi-protein complexes, which are formed in response to tissue injury, infections, and metabolic stress. However, aberrant inflammasome activation has been linked to several inflammatory diseases. Anthocyanins have been reported to attenuate NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, but the influence of grape/blueberry anthocyanins and especially their gut-derived metabolites on NLRP3 inflammasome activation in human monocytes remains unclear. Therefore, human leukemic monocytes (THP-1 cells, Tohoku Hospital Pediatrics-1 cells) were preincubated with different concentrations of grape/blueberry anthocyanins, homovanillyl alcohol, or 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzaldehyde (THBA) before the NLRP3 inflammasome was activated by lipopolysaccharide and/or nigericin. Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) speck formation, as well as ASC and NLRP3 protein expression, were determined using flow cytometry. Caspase-1 activity was measured in cultured cells, and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Anthocyanins and their metabolites had no effect on ASC or NLRP3 protein expression. However, THBA significantly inhibited ASC speck formation in primed and unprimed THP-1 monocytes, while caspase-1 activity was significantly declined by grape/blueberry anthocyanins. Furthermore, reduced inflammasome activation resulted in lower pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. In conclusion, our results show for the first time that grape/blueberry anthocyanins and their gut-derived metabolites exert anti-inflammatory effects by attenuating NLRP3 inflammasome activation in THP-1 monocytes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Gut-Derived Metabolites in Health and Disease)
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18 pages, 1988 KiB  
Article
Relationships and Mendelian Randomization of Gut Microbe-Derived Metabolites with Metabolic Syndrome Traits in the METSIM Cohort
by Sahereh Mirzaei, Holli A. DeVon, Rita M. Cantor, Arjen J. Cupido, Calvin Pan, Sung Min Ha, Lilian Fernandes Silva, James R. Hilser, Jaana Hartiala, Hooman Allayee, Federico E. Rey, Markku Laakso and Aldons J. Lusis
Metabolites 2024, 14(3), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14030174 - 20 Mar 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3003
Abstract
The role of gut microbe-derived metabolites in the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of gut microbe-derived metabolites and MetS traits in the cross-sectional Metabolic Syndrome In Men (METSIM) study. The sample included 10,194 randomly [...] Read more.
The role of gut microbe-derived metabolites in the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of gut microbe-derived metabolites and MetS traits in the cross-sectional Metabolic Syndrome In Men (METSIM) study. The sample included 10,194 randomly related men (age 57.65 ± 7.12 years) from Eastern Finland. Levels of 35 metabolites were tested for associations with 13 MetS traits using lasso and stepwise regression. Significant associations were observed between multiple MetS traits and 32 metabolites, three of which exhibited particularly robust associations. N-acetyltryptophan was positively associated with Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistant (HOMA-IR) (β = 0.02, p = 0.033), body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.025, p = 1.3 × 10−16), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (β = 0.034, p = 5.8 × 10−10), triglyceride (0.087, p = 1.3 × 10−16), systolic (β = 0.012, p = 2.5 × 10−6) and diastolic blood pressure (β = 0.011, p = 3.4 × 10−6). In addition, 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) lactate yielded the strongest positive associations among all metabolites, for example, with HOMA-IR (β = 0.23, p = 4.4 × 10−33), and BMI (β = 0.097, p = 5.1 × 10−52). By comparison, 3-aminoisobutyrate was inversely associated with HOMA-IR (β = −0.19, p = 3.8 × 10−51) and triglycerides (β = −0.12, p = 5.9 × 10−36). Mendelian randomization analyses did not provide evidence that the observed associations with these three metabolites represented causal relationships. We identified significant associations between several gut microbiota-derived metabolites and MetS traits, consistent with the notion that gut microbes influence metabolic homeostasis, beyond traditional risk factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Gut-Derived Metabolites in Health and Disease)
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Review

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16 pages, 967 KiB  
Review
Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolites and Their Role in the Pathogenesis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review
by Livia Provitera, Andrea Tomaselli, Francesca Algieri, Matteo Tripodi, Genny Raffaeli, Ilaria Amodeo, Ludovica Raymo, Carolina Vittoria Bronzoni, Monica Fumagalli, Felipe Garrido and Giacomo Cavallaro
Metabolites 2024, 14(11), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14110570 - 23 Oct 2024
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Abstract
Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe gastrointestinal disease that occurs predominantly in premature infants and is characterized by the inflammation and necrosis of the intestine, showing high morbidity and mortality rates. Despite decades of research efforts, a specific treatment is currently [...] Read more.
Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe gastrointestinal disease that occurs predominantly in premature infants and is characterized by the inflammation and necrosis of the intestine, showing high morbidity and mortality rates. Despite decades of research efforts, a specific treatment is currently lacking, and preventive strategies are the mainstays of care. This review aims to help understand the complex interplay between gut microbiota and their metabolites in NEC pathogenesis. In particular, we focused on how these factors can influence gut health, immune responses, and intestinal barrier integrity. Discussion: Current research has increasingly focused on the role of the gut microbiota and their metabolites in NEC pathogenesis, thanks to their involvement in modulating gut health, immune responses, and intestinal barrier integrity. Conclusions: A deeper understanding of the interplay between gut microbiota and their metabolites is essential for developing personalized strategies to prevent NEC. By targeting these microbial interactions, new therapeutic approaches may emerge that offer improved outcomes for preterm infants at a high risk of NEC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Gut-Derived Metabolites in Health and Disease)
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