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Published on: July 5, 2024
Functional constipation in Chinese infants: disruptions in gut microbiota and urinary metabolome revealed by a
Haihong Zhao1, Xiuxia Lu2, Hua Lou3
1Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Integrative Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Insights
Functional constipation in infants is linked to distinct gut bacteria and metabolic changes. Glutathione metabolism emerges as a potential new pathway for treating infant constipation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Microbiome Research
- Metabolomics
Background:
- Functional constipation (FC) is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder in children.
- The relationship between intestinal microbiota and FC in Chinese infants is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gut microbiota alterations in Chinese infants with FC.
- To explore the metabolomic profiles associated with FC in infants.
- To identify potential biomarkers for distinguishing FC from non-constipated infants.
Main Methods:
- 16S rRNA gene sequencing for fecal microbiota analysis.
- UPLC-Q-TOF/MS for urinary metabolite profiling.
- Comparison of 79 FC infants with 31 balanced non-constipated controls.
Main Results:
- FC infants showed significantly lower stool scale scores.
- Distinct microbial community composition and metabolite profiles were observed between FC and control groups.
- Key bacteria in FC included Prevotella, Alistipes, Collinsella, and Eggerthella, involved in specific metabolic pathways.
Conclusions:
- Gut microbiota and metabolomic profiles differ significantly in infants with FC.
- Glutathione metabolism may represent a novel pathway implicated in infant constipation.
- Multi-omics approaches offer potential for developing innovative therapeutic strategies for infant FC.
Background:
Functional constipation (FC) is regarded as the most prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorder among children and is closely related to the intestinal microbiota. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of data regarding this relationship in Chinese infants.
Methods:
In this study, we investigated the alterations in gut microbiota of 79 FC infants under 2 years of age in China, using 31 balanced non-constipated (BC) children as controls. Some clinical parameters were evaluated, fecal microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and urinary metabolites were profiled via UPLC-Q-TOF/MS method.
Results:
Children with FC demonstrated significantly lower stool scale scores compared to BC group. Significant differences were observed in both microbial community composition and metabolite profiles between the FC and BC groups. The characteristic microbiota of the FC group included Prevotella, Alistipes, Collinsella and Eggerthella, associated with dietary fiber degradation, short-chain fatty acid and bile acid conversion, and participated in sphingolipid, thiamine, and glutathione metabolism. A combined biomarker exhibited excellent capacity in distinguishing FC from BC.
Conclusion:
This study offers new insights into the gut microbiota and metabolomic profiles associated with FC in young children, particularly that glutathione metabolism may be a new pathway for infant constipation, underscoring the potential for developing innovative therapeutic strategies through the integration of multi-omics approaches.
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