Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Variation in human intestinal microbiota with age.

M J Hopkins1, R Sharp, G T Macfarlane

  • 1MRC Microbiology and Gut Biology Group, University of Dundee Medical School, Dundee, UK. m.j.hopkins@dundee.ac.uk

Digestive and Liver Disease : Official Journal of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver
|November 1, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Advancing age alters gut microbiota composition, decreasing beneficial bifidobacteria and increasing bacteroides species. These changes impact gut health and therapeutic strategies for the intestinal microbiota.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Single cell multi-omics characterise discrete human tendon cells populations that persist in vitro and on fibrous scaffolds.

European cells & materials·2022
Same author

Morphological and Genetic Variation Among Populations of the Fiddler Crab <i>Minuca burgersi</i> (Holthuis, 1967) (Crustacea: Brachyura: Ocypodidae) from Shores of the Caribbean Basin and Western South Atlantic Ocean.

Zoological studies·2022
Same author

Cosmological Constraints from Multiple Probes in the Dark Energy Survey.

Physical review letters·2019
Same author

Constraints on geographic variation in fiddler crabs (Ocypodidae: Uca) from the western Atlantic.

Journal of evolutionary biology·2016
Same author

Accompanied consultations in occupational health.

Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)·2015
Same author

CD56+ T cells are increased in kidney transplant patients following cytomegalovirus infection.

Transplant infectious disease : an official journal of the Transplantation Society·2015

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • The large intestinal microbiota is crucial for host health, influencing digestion, immunity, and pathogen resistance.
  • The impact of aging on the colonic bacterial community structure remains incompletely understood.
  • Gut microbial composition is linked to various physiological functions and disease states.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate age-related changes in human fecal microbiota composition.
  • To compare microbial diversity across different age groups, including children, young adults, and the elderly.
  • To assess the influence of Clostridium difficile infection on gut bacterial species diversity.

Main Methods:

  • Stool samples were collected from four groups: children, young adults, healthy elderly individuals, and elderly patients with Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Bacterial populations were quantified using culture-based methods.
  • Microbial diversity was analyzed to the species level for adult and elderly participants.

    • Main Results:

    • Significant inter-individual variation in microbial composition was observed at both genus and species levels.
    • The fecal microbiota of children exhibited lower bacterial complexity compared to adults.
    • Aging was associated with a decline in Bifidobacteria and an increase in Bacteroides species diversity.

    Conclusions:

    • Age-related shifts in gut microbiota, characterized by reduced Bifidobacteria and increased Bacteroides, can alter the gut's metabolic capacity.
    • Understanding these microbial changes is vital for developing targeted therapies for age-related gut dysbiosis and Clostridium difficile infections.
    • The study highlights the dynamic nature of the gut microbiota throughout the human lifespan.