Key Findings:
A study suggests that the transition towards an anti-inflammatory state during mid-pregnancy may be associated with alterations in gut microbiota, potentially mediated by fecal and plasma metabolites.
Methodology:
Researchers investigated the link between gut microbiota, fecal and plasma metabolites, and cytokine levels in pregnant and nonpregnant women.
Thirty pregnant women and fifteen nonpregnant women, matched for age and body mass index (BMI), were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
Samples were collected from pregnant women during or after the 37th week of pregnancy until labor and from nonpregnant women on the 14th day of their menstrual cycle.
Participants had not used probiotics or antibiotics for at least 6 months prior to the study.
Key Insights:
Pregnant women exhibited higher levels of Actinobacteriota in their gut microbiomes compared to nonpregnant women, with certain enriched microbes showing a negative correlation with pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Differences in fecal and plasma metabolites were observed between pregnant and nonpregnant women, with some enriched metabolites negatively correlated with pro-inflammatory cytokines and some depleted metabolites positively correlated.
Pro-inflammatory plasma cytokine levels were reduced in pregnant women, while levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 were elevated.
Researchers identified connections between gut microbes, metabolites, and cytokines, suggesting that gut microbes may influence plasma cytokine levels through interactions with host metabolites.
Practical Implications:
The study sheds light on the complex interplay among gut microbiota, metabolites, and the immune system during pregnancy, highlighting specific metabolites that may act as mediators between symbiotic microorganisms and immune homeostasis.
Source and Limitations:
The study, led by Ting Huang from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China, was published online in mSystems on February 7, 2024.
Limitations include the small sample size, which may affect the generalizability of findings, and the inability to establish causal relationships due to the study’s cross-sectional design.
Disclosure:
The study received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the authors reported no conflicts of interest.
