Intestinal flora in the constipation patients before versus after lactulose intervention

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Microbiology
• Human Health

Background:

• Chronic functional constipation (CFC) is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder.
• Alterations in gut microbiota composition are associated with CFC.
• Lactulose is a commonly used osmotic laxative for constipation management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of lactulose on the intestinal flora characteristics in patients with CFC.
• To compare the gut microbiota profile of CFC patients with healthy controls before and after lactulose treatment.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 29 patients with CFC received 15 mL/day of oral lactulose for one month.
• Fecal samples were collected from patients before and after treatment, and from 20 healthy controls.
• Gut microbiota composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatics analysis.

Main Results:

• Lactulose treatment significantly increased the abundance of key beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacteria, Bacillus cereus, Prevotella, Bacillus, Anaerostipes, Oribacterium, and Mogibacterium in CFC patients.
• These bacterial groups increased to levels comparable to or exceeding those in healthy controls.
• A decline in Anaerotruncus was observed in the healthy control group post-lactulose, suggesting a differential effect.

Conclusions:

• Lactulose effectively modulates the gut microbiota in patients with chronic functional constipation.
• The intervention promotes an increase in beneficial probiotics and optimizes the intestinal microenvironment.
• Lactulose demonstrates potential as a therapeutic agent for alleviating constipation by restoring gut microbial balance.