3.6 Fecal microbiome transplantation supplemented with GP
suppressed intestinal inflammation and improved autophagy
To validate the potential impact of GP on alleviating intestinal
inflammation and on microbe-autophagy interactions, we performed FMT
experiments by using oral gavage in rats (Fig. 6A). 20 rats were
randomly divided into four groups: DSS (FMT),
DSS + GP (FMT), blank (FMT), and
blank (normal rats). The body weight changes of rats in the
DSS (FMT),
DSS
+ GP (FMT), blank (FMT), and blank groups are shown in Fig. 6B. Blank
(FMT) and blank groups showed similar body weight changes, which
indicated that the FMT operation had little effect on the mice. The body
weight of the rats transplanted with DSS-treated microbiota decreased
significantly, while the rats transplanted with DSS+GP (FMT)-treated
microbiota recovery the body weight. HE staining of pathological
sections showed that the colon epitheliums of the blank (FMT) and blank
group were intact without hyperemia, edema, hemorrhage, or inflammatory
cell infiltration. In the DSS (FMT) group, the intestinal epithelial
structure was incomplete, and crypt abscesses, a reduction in goblet
cells, and large number of neutrophil infiltrations were observed.
Compared with the DSS (FMT) group, the colon epithelial cells in the DSS
+ GP (FMT) group were less damaged, and the crypt abscesses and
inflammatory infiltrations were relieved (Fig. 6C).