Biomedical Research

Background: Constipation is a highly frequent complication in patients with chronic gastrointestinal disorder and intestinal cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes of gut microbiota in the disease development from chronic constipation to intestinal tumor.

Methods: Loperamide-induced constipation model was established to verify that chronic constipation can increase the risk of intestinal tumor. 128 Kunming mice were divided into four groups, namely, healthy, chronic constipation, intestinal tumor induced by chronic constipation and intestinal tumor with constipation after DMH (dimethylhydrazine) induction. The fecal bacterial diversity was profiled by the V3 and V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA genes.

Result: Healthy mice showed enrichment in operational taxonomic units (OTUs) affiliated with members of the Lactobacillus, Clostridium XlVa, Allobaculum and etc. Chronic constipation mice showed the decreases in OTUs affiliated with members of the Lactobacillus genus and the increase of the Barnesiella genus. Tumor-bearing mice showed enrichment in OTUs affiliated with members of the Barnesiella.

Conclusions: These results suggest that changes in the gut microbiota in mice with chronic constipation probably contribute to tumorigenesis and modulation of the gut microbiota may help to alleviate chronic constipation and eventually prevent the development of colon cancer.

Author(s): Yunpeng Luan, Dechang Mao, Min Chen, Suhua Li, Yong Cao, Junjia Lu, Chengzhong He
Abstract | Full-Text | PDF

Share this