Special Issues

Gut Microbiome and Health: Role and Mechanism of Gut Microbiota in Human Disease
Editor: Ava Behrouzi

Submission Deadline: 1 March 2024 (Status: Closed)


Special Issue Editor


Dr. Ava Behrouzi      Email   |   Website
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Science, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Interests: microbiota and microbiome; IBD; probiotic; pathogenesis; signaling pathway; OMVs; E. coli Nissle1917


Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the lower intestine, there are a large number of bacteria co-living with human structures. On a vast surface, only a single layer of cells separates human structures from the bacteria. Uncontrolled, this close contact with microorganisms can result in life-threatening health problems. The anti-inflammatory properties of probiotics have been demonstrated in animal models. Probiotic supplementation protects against spontaneous and chemically induced colitis by inhibiting inflammatory cytokine production or activating strain-specific regulatory mechanisms. In addition, numerous studies have shown probiotics effect on different several immune pathways. The evaluation of these pathways can help to introduce novel diagnosis biomarkers for new treatment strategies in several diseases, especially inflammatory diseases.

Ava Behrouzi
Guest Editor


Keywords

microbiota and microbiome; probiotic; microbiota and diseases; microbiota and biomarker; lung-brain axis; kidney-brain axis


Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted via our online editorial system at https://www.biolifesas.org/journalx_brha/authorLogOn.action by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to start your submission. Manuscripts can be submitted now or up until the deadline. All papers will go through peer-review process. Accepted papers will be published in the journal (as soon as accepted) and meanwhile listed together on the special issue website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts will be thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. Please visit the Instruction for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted manuscripts should be well formatted in good English.


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  • Review
    Masoumeh Nematbakhsh, Effat Davoudi-Monfared, Mojtaba Mojtahedzadeh, Mohammad Abdollahi, Amirmahdi Mojtahedzadeh
    Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents. 2023, 37(10): 5061-5067. https://doi.org/10.23812/j.biol.regul.homeost.agents.20233710.491
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    The microbiome in our digestive system plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy balance and preventing diseases. Any imbalance in the microbiome, called dysbiosis, can increase the risk of sepsis and lead to a poor response to infection in the body. This review provides an overview of this topic's extent, range, and nature by clarifying the gaps in current knowledge and planning for future works. Our research involved identifying clinical trials that administered biotics to adult patients with sepsis. We thoroughly reviewed the studies to determine if any harm was caused to the microbiome during sepsis treatment. In addition, we explored other literature to gain insights into the relationship between the microbiome and sepsis. Our findings indicate that biotic products have been used in treating septic patients in only three studies. The studies varied in terms of conditions, assessed outcomes, populations, and products administered. To ensure the patient's well-being and avoid complications, treatment strategies for sepsis should prioritize maintaining a balanced microbiome and avoiding dysbiosis. Maintaining a healthy microbiome is not just about taking probiotic supplements. A deeper understanding of complex concepts like organ interaction and epigenetic modification can help understand the connection between the microbiome and sepsis, which could lead to new avenues of research. However, this is still a difficult task, and further clinical trials are needed to explore this area.

  • Review
    Zahra Hoseini-Tavassol, Hanieh-Sadat Ejtahed, Fateme Ettehad-Marvasti, Faezeh Saghafian, Shima Ghannadi, Kazem Khalagi, Seyed-Davar Siadat, Shirin Hasani-Ranjbar
    Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents. 2023, 37(6): 2855-2861. https://doi.org/10.23812/j.biol.regul.homeost.agents.20233706.283
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    Nowadays, obesity as a widespread disorder challenges health system worldwide. Obesity is a multifactorial disease. It may cause by various interactions between host genetic and environmental factors. Gut microbiota also have been recognized as a conclusive influential factor in obesity. While it is now widely accepted that the gut microbiota plays an important role in host metabolism, recent researches revealed that gut microbiota are also associated with genetic variations. Current knowledge about the influence of host genetics on specific gut microbiota is limited. But some of these heritable microbiota have a role in obesity incidence based on previous studies. So, it seems that an investigation about association of heritable gut microbiota with obesity is needed. In this study, we summarized recently known hereditary bacteria colonized in the gut and their effects on obesity. Here we discussed about, Akkermansia, Blautia, Christensenella and Faecalibacterium genera belong to Firmicutes, and Bifidobacterium genus is included in Bacteroidetes, as heritable taxa. This review can provide a perspective to advance studies on the developing of probiotics for obesity treatment and modifying individuals' gut microbiota based on their genetics to resolve obesity problem and its prevention.

  • Article
    Tianyi Ai, Zhiyun Zhang, Mingli Zhu, Lihui Wang, Hui Wu, Jiajia Tang, An Shi, Zhiqiang Shi, Min Li, Hui Li
    Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents. 2023, 37(5): 2809-2817. https://doi.org/10.23812/j.biol.regul.homeost.agents.20233705.278
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    Background and Objective: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the most lethal subtype of stroke with a poor prognosis. The characteristics of ICH-related gut microbiota dysbiosis are unknown. The current study aims to investigate the differences in gut microbiota profiles between ICH patients and healthy controls.

    Methods: From July 8, 2019, to December 31, 2020, we performed a prospective clinical trial (Chinese Clinical Trail Registry, ChiCTR2000034906) and enrolled eligible participants, including ICH patients and healthy controls. Based on the brain computed tomography scan results, ICH patients were further categorized into thalamus hemorrhage (TH) and non-thalamus hemorrhage (NTH) subgroups. All participants were fed with the same principle of nutritional schemes, and their stool samples were collected after 5 days. The gut microbiota profiles in stool samples were determined using 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. Clinical outcomes of the ICH patients were recorded, including the length of hospital stay, length of intensive care unit stay, neurological functions, and mortality.

    Results: The ICH and healthy control groups had 40 and 47 participants, respectively. The diversity (decreased Simpson and Shannon index, p = 0.002 and 0.001, respectively), microbial community structure, phylogenetic diversity, and abundant gut microbiota taxa in the ICH group were significantly different from those in the control group. However, there was no difference in gut microbiota changes and clinical outcomes between the two ICH subgroups (TH, N = 11, vs NTH, N = 29).

    Conclusions: Compositional alterations in gut microbiota were common in adult patients with ICH, but there was no significant difference between the ICH subtypes.

  • Review
    Ali Afzal, Maryam Riasat, Muddasir Hassan Abbasi, Hamid Nawaz, Nadeem Sheikh, Muhammad Ahsan Ashraf, Nimra Afzal, Muhammad Babar Khawar
    Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents. 2023, 37(10): 5081-5090. https://doi.org/10.23812/j.biol.regul.homeost.agents.20233710.493
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    The gut microbiota (GM) plays a significant role in regulating the immune system, digestion, and estrogen levels. However, the extent of its impact on pregnancy and abortion remains unclear. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of the gut-brain axis in digestion and psychological communication between the brain and gut tract. That suggests that GM may also play a role in fertility, as it can influence the brain and immune system. Herein, we aim to determine the evidential relationship between the gut microbiome and fertility in females. Moreover, we also discuss the potential mechanisms by which the GM can affect pregnancy and abortion.

  • Article
    Sara Abdolkhane, Mohammad Reza Rahbar, Sepideh Sadeghiseghdil, Hoora Mazaheri, Sarvenaz Falsafi, Farhad Riazi Rad, Ava Behrouzi
    Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents. 2023, 37(5): 2797-2808. https://doi.org/10.23812/j.biol.regul.homeost.agents.20233705.277
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    Background: Microorganisms colonizing the gastrointestinal tract interact with the host through epithelial cells. More than 60% of the immune cells in the intestine are located in the intestinal mucosa, making it the body's major defensive barrier. Commensal bacteria, their metabolites, and toll-like receptors interact with the epithelial cells in the intestine to maintain homeostasis and promote immunity. HT-29 is a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line with epithelial morphology.

    Materials and Methods: In this study, Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) bacteria and their outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) exerted influence on the expression of toll-like receptors (TLRs) pathway genes in HT-29 cells. Real-Time PCR was used to measure the expression of TLRs signalling pathway genes after RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis. A real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR array using SYBR Green method was conducted to determine the mRNA expression of 84 genes involved in the TLR signalling pathway.

    Results: EcN induced the down-regulation of pro-inflammatory genes such as IRAK4, MAP2K4, CCL2, NFRKB, and IRAK1. Further, OMVs derived from EcN stimulated the HT-29 cells by downregulating several genes involved in the inflammatory responses such as IRAK1, IRAK4, CD14, MYD88, and MAP4K4 and up-regulating the anti-inflammatory interleukin-10. However, EcN OMVs caused mild inflammation and anti-inflammatory responses that influenced intestinal homeostasis.

    Conclusions: Postbiotics are non-replicate, so they are unable to cause probiotic-associated risks like bacteraemia fungaemia, etc.

  • Article
    Ying Tao, Miao Yu, Baisha Zhang, Feng Yu, Liping Tang
    Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents. 2024, 38(1): 823-835. https://doi.org/10.23812/j.biol.regul.homeost.agents.20243801.68
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    Background: Patients with diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) often have symptoms of anxiety and depression. Several studies suggest that IBS-D patients may suffer from structural disturbances in the gut microbiota associated with psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and depression. In this investigation, we employed 16S rRNA gene sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics analysis to delve into the distinct microorganisms and metabolites associated with the physical and psychological symptoms experienced by individuals with IBS-D. This endeavor offers valuable insights into the potential for targeted intestinal therapy in IBS-D patients.

    Methods: 42 IBS-D patients and 20 healthy controls received a firm diagnosis of the condition between June 2020 and February 2022. 16S-rRNA gene amplicon sequencing on the Illumine platform and liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were performed to detect and analyze the feces of the healthy control group and IBS-D group to obtain differential microorganisms and metabolites.

    Results: In patients with IBS-D, there was a notable reduction in the abundance and diversity of their intestinal microbiota compared to the healthy control group. Additionally, the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroides in IBS-D patients was lower than that observed in the healthy control group. Furthermore, significant distinctions were observed in the fecal metabolites of IBS-D patients compared to those of the healthy control group. The metabolism of alanine, aspartic acid, glutamate, and bile secretions were disturbed. Based on clinical and psychological symptom analysis, as well as analysis of the microbiome and metabolome features, it was found that Blautia, Intestinibacter, and Romboutsia were positively correlated with the severity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as levels of anxiety and depression. The intestinal microbiota metabolite 2-Dodecenal was closely related to the presence of IBS-D. The 3-hydroxy-aminobenzoic acid, one of the fecal metabolites involved in tryptophan metabolism, in IBS-D patients complicated with anxious-depressive states was significantly reduced.

    Conclusion: This study has unveiled substantial disparities in fecal microbiota and metabolomic profiles between individuals afflicted with IBS-D and comorbid anxious-depressive conditions and their healthy counterparts. These findings provide valuable insights for prospective therapeutic interventions targeting the gut in this context.