Composition of the microbiota in patients with growth hormone deficiency before and after treatment with growth hormone.

INTRODUCTION: Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) have modulatory effects on bowel function and its microbiota. Our aim was to investigate whether low levels of GH and IGF-1 in patients with GH deficiency are associated with changes in gut physiology/integrity as well as in the composition of the gut microbiota. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a case-control study in 21 patients with GH deficiency, at baseline and after 6 months of GH treatment, and in 20 healthy controls. We analysed changes in anthropometric and laboratory characteristics and bacterial translocation and studied the composition of the microbiome by means of massive 16S rRNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: Growth hormone deficiency was accompanied by a significant increase in serum levels of sCD14, a marker of bacterial translocation (P < .01). This increase was reversed by GH treatment. We did not find any differences in the composition or α- or ß-diversity of the gut microbiota after treatment or between cases and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our work is the first to demonstrate that the presence of GH deficiency is not associated with differences in gut microbiota composition in comparison with healthy controls, and changes in microbiota composition are also not found after 6 months of treatment. However, GH deficiency and low IGF-1 levels were associated with an increase in bacterial translocation, which had reversed after treatment.

Beyond the effects of HIV infection and integrase inhibitors-based therapies on oral bacteriome.

Oral microbiome is the second largest microbial community in humans after gut. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection triggers an impairment of the immune system which could favour the growth and the colonization of pathogens in the oral cavity, and this dysbiosis has been associated with oral manifestations that worsen the quality of life of these patients. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) could also drive changes in specific oral bacterial taxa associated with such periodontal diseases. Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), therapy of choice in the treatment of naive HIV-patients, are able to reverse the impact of HIV infection on systemic inflammation, gut permeability, and gut bacterial diversity/richness. The objective of this study was to analyse the effects of HIV infection per se and INSTIs on salivary bacteriome composition, taking into consideration other factors such as smoking, that could also have a significant impact on oral microbiome. To accomplish this objective, 26 non-HIV-infected volunteers and 30 HIV-infected patients (15 naive and 15 under INSTIs-regimen) were recruited. Salivary samples were collected to measure lysozyme levels. Oral bacteriome composition was analysed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Naive HIV-infected patients showed statistically higher levels of lysozyme compared to controls (p < 0.001) and INSTIs-treated patients (p < 0.05). Our study was unable to detect differences in α nor ß-diversity among the three groups analysed, although significant differences in the abundance of some bacterial taxonomical orders were detected (higher abundance in the phylum Pseudomonadota, in the order Acholeplasmatales, and in the genera Ezakiella and Acholeplasma in the naive group compared to controls; and higher abundance in the phylum Mycoplasmatota, in the order Acholeplasmatales, and in the genera Acholeplasma and uncultured Eubacteriaceae bacterium in the INTIs-treated HIV-infected patients compared to controls). These differences seem to be partially independent of smoking habit. HIV infection and INSTIs effects on oral microbiota seem not to be very potent, probably due to the modulation of other factors such as smoking and the greatest outward exposure of the oral cavity.

Impact of HIV infection and integrase strand transfer inhibitors-based treatment on the gut virome.

Viruses are the most abundant components of the human gut microbiome with a significant impact on health and disease. The effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on gut virome has been scarcely analysed. Several studies suggested that integrase strand transfers inhibitors (INSTIs) are associated with a healthier gut. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of HIV infection and INSTIs on gut virome composition. 26 non-HIV-infected volunteers, 15 naive HIV-infected patients and 15 INSTIs-treated HIV-infected patients were recruited and their gut virome composition was analysed using shotgun sequencing. Bacteriophages were the most abundant and diverse viruses present in gut. HIV infection was accompanied by a decrease in phage richness which was reverted after INSTIs-based treatment. ß-diversity of phages revealed that samples from HIV-infected patients clustered separately from those belonging to the control group. Differential abundant analysis showed an increase in phages belonging to Caudoviricetes class in the naive group and a decrease of Malgrandaviricetes class phages in the INSTIs-treated group compared to the control group. Besides, it was observed that INSTIs-based treatment was not able to reverse the increase of lysogenic phages associated with HIV infection or to modify the decrease observed on the relative abundance of Proteobacteria-infecting phages. Our study describes for the first time the impact of HIV and INSTIs on gut virome and demonstrates that INSTIs-based treatments are able to partially restore gut dysbiosis at the viral level, which opens several opportunities for new studies focused on microbiota-based therapies.

IGF1R is a mediator of sex-specific metabolism in mice: Effects of age and high-fat diet.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the short and long-term metabolic consequences of IGF1R systemic gene deficiency in mice. Methods: UBC-CreERT2, Igf1rfl/fl mutant mice were used to suppress IGF1R signaling in adult tissues by inducing postnatal generalized Igf1r deletion with tamoxifen. Animals were analyzed at two different ages: i) 13-weeks old young mice, and ii) 12-months old middle-aged mice. In addition, the effects of 10 weeks-long high-fat diet (HFD) were investigated in middle-aged mice. Results: Young IGF1R-deficient mice were insulin-resistant, with high IGF1, growth hormone (GH) and IGFBP3, as well as low IGFBP2 circulating levels. Males also presented increased triglycerides in liver. In contrast, middle-aged mice did not clearly show all of these alterations, suggesting possible compensatory effects. Middle-aged IGF1R-deficient male mice were able to counteract the negative effects induced by aging and HFD in adiposity, inflammation and glucose metabolism. A metabolic sexual dimorphism dependent on IGF1R was observed, especially in middle-aged mice. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that IGF1R is involved in metabolic homeostasis, with effects modulated by diet-induced obesity and aging in a sex dependent manner. Thus, IGF1R deficiency in mice is proposed as a useful tool to understand metabolic alterations observed in patients with IGF1R gene deletions.

Integrase Inhibitors Partially Restore Bacterial Translocation, Inflammation and Gut Permeability Induced by HIV Infection: Impact on Gut Microbiota.

INTRODUCTION: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection can be considered a chronic disease thanks to the extended use of antiretroviral treatment (ART). In this context, low-grade chronic inflammation related to gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis and bacterial translocation (BT) among other factors has been observed despite the use of ART. In addition, different ART regimens have demonstrated differential impacts on GM. However, the role of novel integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) has not been investigated yet. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of INSTIs in first-line of treatment on markers of BT, inflammation, cardiovascular risk, gut permeability and GM composition and derived short-chain fatty acids. METHODS: Twenty-six non-HIV-infected volunteers and 30 HIV-infected patients (15 naïve and 15 under INSTIs regimen) were recruited. Blood samples were extracted to analyse biochemical parameters and markers of BT, inflammation, cardiovascular risk, gut permeability and bacterial metabolism. GM composition was analysed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: Our results showed that HIV infection increased BT, inflammation, cardiovascular risk and gut permeability, whereas INSTIs counteracted these effects. Regarding GM, the reduction in bacterial richness induced by HIV infection was restored by INSTIs. Beta diversity revealed that HIV-infected people were separated from the control group independently of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Current antiretroviral regimens based on INSTIs are able to reverse the impact of HIV infection on BT, systemic inflammation, gut permeability and bacterial diversity/richness, reaching similar levels to those observed in an uninfected/control population. These results suggest a protective role of INSTIs in disease progression, subsequent immune activation and in the development of future age-related complications such as cardiovascular events.

Corrigendum: ACE Gene Variants Rise the Risk of Severe COVID-19 in Patients With Hypertension, Dyslipidemia or Diabetes: A Spanish Pilot Study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.688071.].

ACE Gene Variants Rise the Risk of Severe COVID-19 in Patients With Hypertension, Dyslipidemia or Diabetes: A Spanish Pilot Study.

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection continues to scale and threaten human health and public safety. It is essential to identify those risk factors that lead to a poor prognosis of the disease. A predisposing host genetic background could be one of these factors that explain the interindividual variability to COVID-19 severity. Thus, we have studied whether the rs4341 and rs4343 polymorphisms of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene, key regulator of the renin-aldosterone-angiotensin system (RAAS), could explain the different outcomes of 128 COVID-19 patients with diverse degree of severity (33 asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, 66 hospitalized in the general ward, and 29 admitted to the ICU). We found that G allele of rs4341 and rs4343 was associated with severe COVID-19 in hypertensive patients, independently of gender (p<0.05). G-carrier genotypes of both polymorphisms were also associated with higher mortality (p< 0.05) and higher severity of COVID-19 in dyslipidemic (p<0.05) and type 2 diabetic patients (p< 0.01). The association of G alleles with disease severity was adjusted for age, sex, BMI and number of comorbidities, suggesting that both the metabolic comorbidities and the G allele act synergistically on COVID-19 outcome. Although we did not find a direct association between serum ACE levels and COVID-19 severity, we found higher levels of ACE in the serum of patients with the GG genotype of rs4341 and rs4343 (p<0.05), what could explain the higher susceptibility to develop severe forms of the disease in patients with the GG genotype, in addition to hypertension and dyslipidemia. In conclusion, our preliminary study suggests that the G-containing genotypes of rs4341 and rs4343 confer an additional risk of adverse COVID-19 prognosis. Thus, rs4341 and rs4343 polymorphisms of ACE could be predictive markers of severity of COVID-19 in those patients with hypertension, dyslipidemia or diabetes. The knowledge of these genetic data could contribute to precision management of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients when admitted to hospital.

Autologous fecal transplantation from a lean state potentiates caloric restriction effects on body weight and adiposity in obese mice.

Autologous fecal transplantation (FT-A) emerges as a promising strategy to modulate gut microbiota with minimal side effects since individual´s own feces are transplanted. With the premise of improving obesity and its associated disorders, we investigated if fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), heterologous and autologous, potentiates the effects of a moderate caloric restriction (CR) in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Mice were randomized into control, HFD, CR (12 weeks on HFD and 6 weeks under CR), FT-H (similar to CR and FMT carried out with feces from controls, weeks 17 & 18), and FT-A (administration of their own feces before developing obesity at weeks 17 & 18). Our study demonstrated that FMT, and, especially, FT-A potentiates the effects of a moderate CR on weight loss and adiposity in the short term, by decreasing feed efficiency and increasing adipose tissue lipolysis. Although FT-A produced a significant increase in bacterial richness/diversity, FMT did not significantly modify gut microbiota composition compared to the CR at phyla and bacteria genera levels, and only significant increases in Bifidobacterium and Blautia genera were observed. These results could suggest that other mechanisms different from bacterial microbiota engraftment participates in these beneficial effects. Thus, FT-A represents a very positive synergetic approach for obese patients that do not respond well to moderate restrictive diets.

Short-term effects of direct-acting antiviral agents on inflammation and gut microbiota in hepatitis C-infected patients.

Liver damage is associated with gut dysbiosis. New direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) are able to eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV) from the body. However, the short and medium-term effects of DAAs at gut level before advanced liver damage occurs have not been evaluated yet. Thus, we investigated the impact of HCV and DAAs on gut microbiota composition (GM) and systemic inflammation. To achieve this objective, twenty-three non HCV-infected controls and 22 HCV-infected patients were recruited. Only non-cirrhotic patients (fibrosis stage 0-3) were included to avoid the direct impact of cirrhosis and portal hypertension on gut. The HCV-groups were evaluated before the treatment, after completing DAAs treatment and after 3 months. Fecal bacterial 16S rDNA was ultrasequenced and several biochemical/metabolic/inflammatory parameters were quantified. HCV infection was accompanied by a significant increase in TNFα plasma levels. DAAs were able to reduce this increase, especially in lower fibrosis grades. HCV infection was not accompanied by dramatic changes in α-diversity and was not recovered after HCV negativization, although a complete restoration was observed in lower fibrosis degrees. Six phyla, 15 genera and 9 bacterial species resulted differentially abundant among the groups. These differences were almost blunted with lower fibrosis. In summary, neither the usage of DAAs nor 3 months in sustained viral response were able to counteract the changes induced by HCV at gut level. The partial restoration observed in inflammation and α-diversity was only observed in low fibrosis degrees. Thus, it is urgent to begin treatment with DAAs as soon as possible.

Characterization of gut microbiota composition in HIV-infected patients with metabolic syndrome.

The presence of metabolic syndrome (MS) per se or its separated components in HIV-infected patients contributes to an accelerated aging and increased cardiovascular risk. Gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis has been linked with chronic inflammation associated with MS in a general non-infected population. However, no studies concerning GM have been performed in HIV-infected patients with MS. The aim of this study was to analyze bacterial translocation, inflammation, and GM composition in HIV-infected patients with and without MS. A total of 51 HIV-infected patients were recruited and classified according to the presence of MS (40 patients without MS and 11 with MS). Markers of bacterial translocation, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk were measured and GM was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene deep sequencing. No differences were observed among both HIV-infected groups in the bacterial translocation markers LBP and sCD14. A tendency to increase the inflammatory markers IL-6 (p = 0.069) and MCP-1 (p = 0.067) was observed in those patients suffering from MS. An increase in the cardiovascular risk markers PAI-1 (p = 0.007) and triglycerides/HDL cholesterol ratio (p < 0.0001) was also found in the MS group. No significant changes were observed at phylum level although a decrease in the abundance of seven genera and seven bacterial species, including some anti-inflammatory bacteria, was observed in HIV-infected patients with MS. To summarize, the presence of MS was not accompanied by major changes in GM, although the reduction observed in some anti-inflammatory bacteria may be clinically useful to develop strategies to minimize inflammation and its future deleterious consequences in these HIV-infected patients.

Agaricus bisporus supplementation reduces high-fat diet-induced body weight gain and fatty liver development

Obesity is a global epidemic characterized not only by excessive fat deposition but also by important complications such as nonalcoholic liver steatosis. Beneficial antiobesogenic effects have been described for some mushrooms. The current study aimed to demonstrate the protective effect of Agaricus bisporus (AB) supplementation against the metabolic alterations induced by high-fat-diet (HFD) feeding. Eight-week-old C57BL/6J mice were fed for 10 weeks with one of the following diets: (1) control diet (n = 7), (2) HFD (n = 7), (3) HFD supplemented with 5% AB (n = 9), and (4) HFD supplemented with 10% AB (n = 9). A pair-fed group was also included for the 10% AB group (n = 6). The impact of AB supplementation on food intake, body weight gain, and liver and fat pad weights was examined. Biochemical, histological, and molecular parameters were also analyzed. Dietary supplementation with 10% AB reduced the HFD-induced increase in body, epididymal, and mesenteric fat weights (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, and p < 0.05, respectively). Supplementation with AB also reduced liver damage in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001). This effect was confirmed by histological analysis that showed that liver steatosis was markedly reduced in mice fed with AB. The beneficial properties of 10% AB supplementation appear to be mediated through a decrease in food intake and via stimulation of mesenteric and hepatic free-fatty acid beta-oxidation, along with a decrease in epidydimal and hepatic expression of CD36. In conclusion, supplementation with AB prevents excessive body weight gain and liver steatosis induced by HFD consumption

Agaricus bisporus supplementation reduces high-fat diet-induced body weight gain and fatty liver development.

Obesity is a global epidemic characterized not only by excessive fat deposition but also by important complications such as nonalcoholic liver steatosis. Beneficial antiobesogenic effects have been described for some mushrooms. The current study aimed to demonstrate the protective effect of Agaricus bisporus (AB) supplementation against the metabolic alterations induced by high-fat-diet (HFD) feeding. Eight-week-old C57BL/6J mice were fed for 10 weeks with one of the following diets: (1) control diet (n = 7), (2) HFD (n = 7), (3) HFD supplemented with 5% AB (n = 9), and (4) HFD supplemented with 10% AB (n = 9). A pair-fed group was also included for the 10% AB group (n = 6). The impact of AB supplementation on food intake, body weight gain, and liver and fat pad weights was examined. Biochemical, histological, and molecular parameters were also analyzed. Dietary supplementation with 10% AB reduced the HFD-induced increase in body, epididymal, and mesenteric fat weights (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, and p < 0.05, respectively). Supplementation with AB also reduced liver damage in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001). This effect was confirmed by histological analysis that showed that liver steatosis was markedly reduced in mice fed with AB. The beneficial properties of 10% AB supplementation appear to be mediated through a decrease in food intake and via stimulation of mesenteric and hepatic free-fatty acid beta-oxidation, along with a decrease in epidydimal and hepatic expression of CD36. In conclusion, supplementation with AB prevents excessive body weight gain and liver steatosis induced by HFD consumption.

Differential effects of antiretrovirals on microbial translocation and gut microbiota composition of HIV-infected patients.

INTRODUCTION: Increased bacterial translocation and alterations to gut microbiota composition have been described in HIV infection and contribute to immune activation and inflammation. These effects persist despite combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). However, the contribution of different cART combinations has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to analyse the long-term effects of different combinations of cART on bacterial translocation and gut microbiota composition in HIV-infected patients. METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional study of 45 HIV-infected patients on cART, classified as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)+ protease inhibitors (PIs) (n = 15), NRTIs+ non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) (n = 22), and NRTIs+ integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) (n = 8). Untreated HIV-infected patients (n = 5) and non-infected volunteers (n = 21) were also included. Soluble markers of bacterial translocation and inflammation were measured and gut microbiota composition was analysed using 16S rDNA pyrosequencing (Illumina MiSeq). RESULTS: The NRTIs+INSTIs regimen was associated with levels of systemic inflammation that were similar to uninfected controls. The reduction in faecal bacterial diversity induced by HIV infection was also restored by this regimen. HIV infection was more closely related to changes in lower taxonomic units and diversity rather than at the phylum level. The NRTIs+PIs regimen showed the highest reduction in bacterial species, whereas NRTIs+INSTIs induced a minor loss of bacterial species and a significant increase in others. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that INSTI-based ART was associated with levels of systemic inflammation and microbial diversity similar to that of uninfected controls. The role of INSTIs other than raltegravir needs to be further investigated. Patients on the NRTIs+PIs regimen presented the highest reduction in bacterial species compared with other antiretrovirals and naive patients. Thus, different cART regimens are associated with diverse profiles in gut microbiota composition. Longitudinal and functional studies are needed to better understand these findings.

Maraviroc ameliorates the increased adipose tissue macrophage recruitment induced by a high-fat diet in a mouse model of obesity.

BACKGROUND: Any strategy designed to decrease the macrophage content in adipose tissue (AT) is of great value as a way to decrease inflammation in this fat depot and also as a way to prevent or treat obesity and associated disorders. Maraviroc (MVC), a CCR5 antagonist approved for the treatment of HIV-infected patients, has beneficial effects on metabolism. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of MVC on AT macrophage recruitment in a mouse model of obesity. The plausible underlying mechanisms of action were also investigated. METHODS: 32 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to the following groups: control, MVC (300 mg/l MVC in drinking water), high-fat diet (HFD) or HFD+MVC. After 16 weeks of treatment, histopathological and molecular analyses were performed on epididymal fat. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that MVC reduced the presence of macrophages in epididymal fat despite the ingestion of an HFD. The inhibition of MCP-1 gene expression and JNK signalling pathway along with the upregulation of protective cytokines such as cardiotrophin-1 could contribute to these actions. MVC effects on AT macrophage recruitment were associated with a lower body weight gain and a partial improvement in insulin resistance despite an HFD. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated the ability of MVC to ameliorate the increased AT macrophage recruitment induced by an HFD in a mouse model of obesity. These actions could be of interest when designing antiretroviral treatments in HIV-patients.

Lack of Adrenomedullin Results in Microbiota Changes and Aggravates Azoxymethane and Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mice.

The link between intestinal inflammation, microbiota, and colorectal cancer is intriguing and the potential underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here we evaluate the influence of adrenomedullin (AM) in microbiota composition and its impact on colitis with an inducible knockout (KO) mouse model for AM. Microbiota composition was analyzed in KO and wild type (WT) mice by massive sequencing. Colitis was induced in mice by administration of azoxymethane (AOM) followed by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in the drinking water. Colitis was evaluated using a clinical symptoms index, histopathological analyses, and qRT-PCR. Abrogation of the adm gene in the whole body was confirmed by PCR and qRT-PCR. KO mice exhibit significant changes in colonic microbiota: higher proportion of δ-Proteobacteria class; of Coriobacteriales order; and of other families and genera was observed in KO feces. Meanwhile these mice had a lower proportion of beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus gasseri and Bifidobacterium choerinum. TLR4 gene expression was higher (p < 0.05) in KO animals. AM deficient mice treated with DSS exhibited a significantly worse colitis with profound weight loss, severe diarrhea, rectal bleeding, colonic inflammation, edema, infiltration, crypt destruction, and higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. No changes were observed in the expression levels of adhesion molecules. In conclusion, we have shown that lack of AM leads to changes in gut microbiota population and in a worsening of colitis conditions, suggesting that endogenous AM is a protective mediator in this pathology.

Deciphering the molecular mechanisms involved in HIV-associated lipoatrophy by transcriptomics: a pilot study.

HIV-associated lipoatrophy (LA) has considerable implications for risk of metabolic diseases, quality of life, and adherence to treatments. Although it has decreased in high-income countries, it is still very common in resource-limited countries. Understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of LA can open the possibility to explore new ways to treat or prevent this condition. To identify new markers for an accurate and quick diagnosis will be also of interest. Thus, we aimed to examine functional classes of genes implicated in LA and to identify potential new markers for an accurate/quick diagnosis of LA and future complications. Eighteen participants were recruited: seven healthy volunteers, five non-LA-HIV patients, and six LA-HIV subjects. Clinical lipoatrophy was considered when changes in fat volume in the cheeks next to the nose, lateral aspect of the face, legs, arms, and buttocks were observed by the physicians. mRNA was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to perform a transcriptomic and Gene Ontology analysis. To confirm RNA sequencing results, qPCRs were developed. A total of 55 genes were differentially expressed between LA and non-LA patients. Thirty-seven genes were overexpressed, whereas 18 genes were repressed. Functional analysis showed that overexpressed genes were involved in lymphocyte/neutrophil activation, inflammation, and atherogenesis. Several lymphoma markers and members of the lipocalin and aquaporin families were also found more expressed in LA patients. In contrast, most of the genes found less expressed in LA subjects were involved in angiogenesis and protection against myocardial infarction. Our results demonstrated a distinct transcriptomic signature in PBMCs of LA patients in comparison with non-LA-HIV subjects and, therefore, provided novel insights to the pathogenesis of HIV-associated lipoatrophy. Our study also highlights the potential usage of some of these genes as early markers of future complications.