Involvement of gut microbiota changes induced by a westernized diet in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K19538
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Metabolomics
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Okubo Hirofumi 広島大学, 病院(医), 医科診療医 (80770734)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 腸内細菌 / メタボリックシンドローム / インスリン抵抗性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Matsuda index (MI) was lower in Japanese-American (J-A) than in Native-Japanese (NJ) men with normal glucose tolerance. The gut microbiota composition in J-A men is different, i.e., lower abundance of genera within the phylum Bacteroidetes, from that in NJ men. Furthermore, the ratio between this gut microbiota and MI was positively correlated between the two groups. These results suggested that a westernized diet induces gut microbiota changes, which might be involved in insulin resistance.
High-fat high-sucrose diet (HFHSD)-fed mice showed gut microbiota changes and colon inflammation. Miglitol treatment partially corrected these changes in the gut environment and showed a protective effect against the development of HFHSD-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Thus, gut environment might be a therapeutic target for metabolic syndrome.

Free Research Field

代謝学