Gut microbiota-mediated alleviation of dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice.

Abstract

SummaryWe found a disease-resistant BALB/c substrain with lower susceptibility to DSS-induced colitis. Gut microbiota analysis using 16S rRNA analysis observed the expansion of butyrate-producing Roseburia species in mice with decreased susceptibility to the disease. Gut dysbiosis characterized by an imbalanced microbiota is closed involved in the pathogenesis of a widespread gastrointestinal inflammatory disorder, inflammatory bowel disease. However, it is unclear how the complex intestinal microbiota affects resistance to mucosal inflammation. Here, we showed differences in the susceptibility of inbred BALB/c mice from three main distributors of laboratory animals to colitis; clinical symptoms, such as weight loss, disease activity index score, and colon shortening were assessed. Analysis of the gut microbiota using 16S rRNA sequencing revealed clear separation of the gut microbial composition among mice from the vendors. Notably, the abundance of the phylum Actinobacteriota was strongly associated with disease activity. We also observed the expansion of butyrate-producing Roseburia species in mice with decreased susceptibility to the disease. Further cohousing experiments showed that variation in clinical outcomes was more correlated with the gut microbiota than genetic variants among substrains from different suppliers. Targeting butyrate-producing bacteria could have therapeutic potential for ulcerative colitis.