Gut microbiota remodeling reverses aging-associated inflammation and dysregulation of systemic bile acid homeostasis in mice sex-specifically

Gut Microbes. 2020 Sep 2;11(5):1450-1474. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1763770. Epub 2020 Jun 9.

Abstract

Aging is usually characterized with inflammation and disordered bile acids (BAs) homeostasis, as well as gut dysbiosis. The pathophysiological changes during aging are also sexual specific. However, it remains unclear about the modulating process among gut microbiota, BA metabolism, and inflammation during aging. In this study, we established a direct link between gut microbiota and BA profile changes in the liver, serum, and four intestinal segments of both sexes during aging and gut microbiota remodeling by co-housing old mice with young ones. We found aging reduced Actinobacteria in male mice but increased Firmicutes in female mice. Among the top 10 altered genera with aging, 4 genera changed oppositely between male and female mice, and most of the changes were reversed by co-housing in both sexes. Gut microbiota remodeling by co-housing partly rescued the systemically dysregulated BA homeostasis induced by aging in a sex- and tissue-specific manner. Aging had greater impacts on hepatic BA profile in females, but intestinal BA profile in males. In addition, aging increased hepatic and colonic deoxycholic acid in male mice, but reduced them in females. Moreover, muricholic acids shifted markedly in the intestine, especially in old male mice, and partially reversed by co-housing. Notably, the ratios of primary to secondary BAs in the liver, serum, and all four intestinal segments were increased in old mice and reduced by co-housing in both sexes. Together, the presented data revealed that sex divergent changes of gut microbiota and BA profile in multiple body compartments during aging and gut microbiota remodeling, highlighting the sex-specific prevention and treatment of aging-related disorders by targeting gut microbiota-regulated BA metabolism should particularly be given more attention.

Keywords: Aging; bile acid composition; gut microbiota; inflammation; sex difference.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actinobacteria / classification
  • Actinobacteria / growth & development
  • Aging*
  • Animals
  • Bacteria / classification
  • Bacteria / growth & development
  • Bacteria / metabolism*
  • Bile Acids and Salts / blood
  • Bile Acids and Salts / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Firmicutes / classification
  • Firmicutes / growth & development
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / physiology*
  • Homeostasis
  • Housing, Animal
  • Inflammation / physiopathology*
  • Intestine, Large / metabolism
  • Intestine, Small / metabolism
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Liver / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Splenomegaly

Substances

  • Bile Acids and Salts

Grants and funding

This work was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81873059 & 81673662), & National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFC1700200), & Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) & Shuguang Scholar (16SG36) at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning from Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. In addition, we thank Mel Campbell (University of California, Davis) for his contributions in editing this manuscript.