Gut microbiota alterations modulate high-fat diet-induced precocious puberty

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Microbiology
• Metabolomics

Background:

• The link between gut microbiota and precocious puberty is increasingly recognized, but underlying mechanisms and longitudinal changes remain unclear.
• Most existing studies are cross-sectional, limiting understanding of dynamic gut microbiota alterations during precocious puberty.
• Precocious puberty involves early onset of secondary sexual characteristics, impacting physical and psychological development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the longitudinal changes in gut microbiota in a rat model of precocious puberty.
• To identify specific gut microbes and metabolites influencing precocious puberty onset and progression.
• To explore the mechanistic links between gut microbiota, metabolites, and pubertal development.

Main Methods:

• Established a precocious puberty model in female rats using high-fat diets and antibiotics.
• Collected stool samples longitudinally (postnatal days 21, 25, 29, 33) for gut microbiota analysis.
• Analyzed serum metabolomic profiles and hypothalamic gene expression (sirtuin-1, kisspeptin-1, GnRH) at postnatal day 33.

Main Results:

• Gut microbiota alterations ameliorated high-fat diet-induced precocious puberty.
• Identified temporal changes in specific microbes, including *Lactobacillus intestinalis* and *Romboutsia*, associated with puberty regulation.
• Observed normalization of steroid hormones, bile acids, and lipid molecules, with specific metabolites (lysoPE 16:0, 23-nordeoxycholic acid) linked to pubertal indicators.

Conclusions:

• Gut microbiota modulation can alleviate precocious puberty.
• Specific gut microbes and metabolites play crucial roles in regulating pubertal timing.
• Findings provide a foundation for future mechanistic studies and therapeutic strategies for precocious puberty.