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Interactions between the Environment and the Intestinal Epithelium: Gut Barrier Function and Inflammation

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 17160

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, Université de Toulouse, UPS, F-31000 Toulouse, France
Interests: intestinal barrier function; gut microbiota; mucosal immunology; inflammatory bowel disease; IBD pathways (Nod2, autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress, Th17)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, Université de Toulouse, UPS, F-31000 Toulouse, France
2. Unité de Gastroentérologie, Hépatologie, Nutrition, Diabétologie et Maladies Héréditaires du Métabolisme, Hôpital des Enfants, CHU de Toulouse, F-31300 Toulouse, France
Interests: inflammatory bowel disease; translational research; nutrition; cystic fibrosis; intestinal polyposis; endoscopy; gut microbiota
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The gastrointestinal tract is a complex interface between the immune system and its external environment. It establishes a dynamic barrier that enables dietary nutrients to be absorbed and harmful compounds to be excluded from the intestinal lumen, while permitting the sampling of luminal antigens as part of immune surveillance. The ability to control the intake of nutrients across the mucosa and protect it from damage of harmful substances contained in the lumen is defined as the intestinal barrier function (IBF). The IBF comprises epithelial cells, as well as immune cells and their secretions. Gut microbiota participate in regulating the integrity and function of the intestinal barrier by maintaining a homeostatic balance. Pathogens, xenobiotics and diet can disrupt the IBF, which causes tissue damage and systemic inflammation.

Numerous human diseases, including intestinal pathologies (inflammatory bowel diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, etc.), as well as extra-intestinal pathologies (metabolic, infectious, neurologic, and cardiovascular), are linked to an impairment of the IBF, leading to the development of “leaky gut syndrome”. Therefore, identifying and understanding the mechanisms by which environmental factors destabilize the IBF, thus promoting disease development, represent an important research direction for the diagnosis and treatment of various intestinal and extra-intestinal diseases.

Here, we invite experts to contribute to this Special Issue with original research or review articles, investigating the components of the environment that may have a beneficial or detrimental impact on the IBF. Since IJMS is a molecular sciences journal, purely clinical studies will not suitable. However, clinical or pure model submissions with biomolecular experiments are welcomed.

Dr. Frédérick Barreau
Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Mas
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • advances on the environmental factors including nano- and micro-particles and pesticides
  • food additives
  • microbiota metabolites with anti- or pro-inflammatory properties
  • intestinal permeability
  • intestinal stem cells

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 5552 KiB  
Article
Microbial Dysbiosis Linked to Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease in Asians: Prevotella copri Promotes Lipopolysaccharide Biosynthesis and Network Instability in the Prevotella Enterotype
by Heng Yuan, Xuangao Wu, Xichun Wang, Jun-Yu Zhou and Sunmin Park
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(4), 2183; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25042183 - 11 Feb 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1925
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is characterized by hepatic fat accumulation by metabolic dysfunction. The rising prevalence of MAFLD, especially among Asians, may be associated with changes in gut microbiota. We investigated gut microbiota [...] Read more.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is characterized by hepatic fat accumulation by metabolic dysfunction. The rising prevalence of MAFLD, especially among Asians, may be associated with changes in gut microbiota. We investigated gut microbiota characteristics and potential mechanisms leading to MAFLD development according to enterotypes. Case-control studies examining the gut microbiota composition between MAFLD and non-MAFLD participants were searched in public databases until July 2023. Gut microbiota was categorized into two enterotypes by principal component analysis. According to the enterotypes, LEfSe, ALDEx2, XGBoost, and DCiPatho were utilized to identify differential abundances and pathogenic microbes in the gut between the MAFLD and non-MAFLD groups. We analyzed microbial community networks with the SprCC module and predicted microbial functions. In the Prevotella enterotype (ET-P), 98.6% of Asians and 65.1% of Caucasians were associated with MAFLD (p = 0.049). MAFLD incidence was correlated with enterotype, age, obesity, and ethnicity (p < 0.05). Asian MAFLD patients exhibited decreased Firmicutes and Akkermansia muciniphila and increased Bacteroidetes and P. copri. The pathogenicity scores were 0.006 for A. muciniphila and 0.868 for P. copri. The Asian MAFLD group showed decreased stability and complexity in the gut microbiota network. Metagenome function analysis revealed higher fructose metabolism and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis and lower animal proteins and α-linolenic acid metabolism in Asians with MAFLD compared with the non-MAFLD group. LPS biosynthesis was positively correlated with P. copri (p < 0.05). In conclusion, P. copri emerged as a potential microbial biomarker for MAFLD. These findings enhance our understanding of the pathological mechanisms of MAFLD mediated through the gut microbiota, providing insights for future interventions. Full article
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20 pages, 8003 KiB  
Review
Effects of Probiotics on Gut Microbiota: An Overview
by Preethi Chandrasekaran, Sabine Weiskirchen and Ralf Weiskirchen
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(11), 6022; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25116022 - 30 May 2024
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 14764
Abstract
The role of probiotics in regulating intestinal flora to enhance host immunity has recently received widespread attention. Altering the human gut microbiota may increase the predisposition to several disease phenotypes such as gut inflammation and metabolic disorders. The intestinal microbiota converts dietary nutrients [...] Read more.
The role of probiotics in regulating intestinal flora to enhance host immunity has recently received widespread attention. Altering the human gut microbiota may increase the predisposition to several disease phenotypes such as gut inflammation and metabolic disorders. The intestinal microbiota converts dietary nutrients into metabolites that serve as biologically active molecules in modulating regulatory functions in the host. Probiotics, which are active microorganisms, play a versatile role in restoring the composition of the gut microbiota, helping to improve host immunity and prevent intestinal disease phenotypes. This comprehensive review provides firsthand information on the gut microbiota and their influence on human health, the dietary effects of diet on the gut microbiota, and how probiotics alter the composition and function of the human gut microbiota, along with their corresponding effects on host immunity in building a healthy intestine. We also discuss the implications of probiotics in some of the most important human diseases. In summary, probiotics play a significant role in regulating the gut microbiota, boosting overall immunity, increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria, and helping ameliorate the symptoms of multiple diseases. Full article
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