High cellulose dietary intake relieves asthma inflammation through the intestinal microbiome in a mouse model

PLoS One. 2022 Mar 10;17(3):e0263762. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263762. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that a high dietary fiber intake is associated inversely with the incidence of asthma in the population. There have been many studies on the role of soluble dietary fiber, but the mechanism of action for insoluble dietary fiber, such as cellulose-the most widely existing dietary fiber, in asthma is still unclear. The current study investigated the outcomes of a high-cellulose diet in a mouse model of asthma and detected pathological manifestations within the lungs, changes in the intestinal microbiome, and changes in intestinal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in mice. A high-cellulose diet can reduce lung inflammation and asthma symptoms in asthmatic mice. Furthermore, it dramatically changes the composition of the intestinal microbiome. At the family level, a new dominant fungus family Peptostreptococcaceae is produced, and at the genus level, the unique genus Romboutsla, [Ruminococcus]_torques_group was generated. These genera and families of bacteria are closely correlated with lipid metabolism in vivo. Many studies have proposed that the mechanism of dietary fiber regulating asthma may involve the intestinal microbiome producing SCFAs, but the current research shows that a high-cellulose diet cannot increase the content of SCFAs in the intestine. These data suggest that a high-cellulose diet decreases asthma symptoms by altering the composition of the intestinal microbiome, however, this mechanism is thought to be independent of SCFAs and may involve the regulation of lipid metabolism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Asthma*
  • Cellulose
  • Dietary Fiber / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Eating
  • Fatty Acids, Volatile / metabolism
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome* / physiology
  • Inflammation
  • Mice

Substances

  • Dietary Fiber
  • Fatty Acids, Volatile
  • Cellulose

Grants and funding

This study were sponsored by Scientiific Research and Innovation Expriment of Chongqing Medical University, Grant Number: 201903. The grantees were Song Wen, Guifang Yuan and Cunya Li, I am the instructor of this project. This program was established by Chongqing Medical University to encourage undergraduate students to conduct clinical or basic scientific research and to exercise scientific thinking and research skills. So this project has no official website. The website of Chongqing Medical University was www.cqmu.edu.cn.