Faecal microbiota transplantation from metabolically compromised human donors accelerates osteoarthritis in mice

Emerging evidence suggests that the microbiome plays an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). We aimed to test the two-hit model of OA pathogenesis and potentiation in which one 'hit' is provided by an adverse gut microbiome that activates innate immunity; the other 'hit' is underlying joint damage.

Medical history, faecal and blood samples were collected from human healthy controls (OA-METS-, n=4), knee OA without metabolic syndrome (OA+METS-, n=7) and knee OA with metabolic syndrome (OA+METS+, n=9). Each group of human faecal samples, whose microbial composition was identified by 16S rRNA sequencing, was pooled and transplanted into germ-free mice 2 weeks prior to meniscal/ligamentous injury (MLI) (n≥6 per group). Eight weeks after MLI, mice were evaluated for histological OA severity and synovitis, systemic inflammation and gut permeability.

Histological OA severity following MLI was minimal in germ-free mice. Compared with the other groups, transplantation with the OA+METS+ microbiome was associated with higher mean systemic concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α), higher gut permeability and worse OA severity. A greater abundance of Fusobacterium and Faecalibaterium and lesser abundance of Ruminococcaceae in transplanted mice were consistently correlated with OA severity and systemic biomarkers concentrations.

The study clearly establishes a direct gut microbiome-OA connection that sets the stage for a new means of exploring OA pathogenesis and potentially new OA therapeutics. Alterations of Fusobacterium, Faecalibaterium and Ruminococcaceae suggest a role of these particular microbes in exacerbating OA.