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Enterococcus hirae Y-HS Alleviates Ulcerative Colitis by Activating PXR/Nrf2-mediated Metabolic-immune Crosstalk.
Fuming You1, Han Bao1, Wentong Li2
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, China.
Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins
|July 7, 2026
Summary
Enterococcus hirae Y-HS shows promise in treating ulcerative colitis (UC) by modulating gut microbiota and host metabolism. This probiotic may offer new non-invasive biomarkers for UC diagnosis and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
Background:
- Ulcerative colitis (UC) lacks effective non-invasive biomarkers and shows variable responses to probiotics.
- Enterococcus hirae Y-HS, isolated from cattle, is investigated for its probiotic potential in UC.
- Understanding UC mechanisms requires identifying reliable biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the probiotic efficacy of Enterococcus hirae Y-HS in a mouse model of UC.
- To identify potential non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for UC using transcriptomic data and machine learning.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying Y-HS's therapeutic effects in UC.
Main Methods:
- In vitro assessment of Y-HS probiotic properties and safety.
- Analysis of public transcriptomic datasets to identify UC-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
- Machine learning and protein-protein interaction network analysis to identify core diagnostic genes.
- Evaluation of Y-HS in a DSS-induced murine colitis model, including gut microbiota and molecular pathway analysis.
Main Results:
- Y-HS demonstrated safety and probiotic potential in vitro.
- Transcriptomic analysis revealed 768 DEGs in UC patients; four metabolic genes (CYP3A4, UGT1A6, HSD17B6, SRD5A3) showed diagnostic potential (AUC 0.72-0.84).
- Y-HS treatment in mice reduced colitis severity, altered gut microbiota, activated PXR/Nrf2 signaling, modulated metabolic and detoxification enzymes, and improved gut barrier function.
Conclusions:
- Enterococcus hirae Y-HS effectively alleviates experimental colitis by regulating gut microbiota, host metabolism, inflammation, and intestinal barrier function.
- The identified metabolic gene signature presents potential non-invasive biomarkers for UC.
- Y-HS represents a promising therapeutic agent for UC, offering a multi-faceted approach to disease management.
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