Gut Microbiome and Metabolites in Patients with NAFLD and After Bariatric Surgery: A Comprehensive Review

Overview

Journal Metabolites

Publisher MDPI

Date 2021 Jun 2

PMID 34072995

Citations 15

Authors

Jacqueline Hoozemans

Maurits De Brauw

Max Nieuwdorp

Victor Gerdes

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing, as are other manifestations of metabolic syndrome such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. NAFLD is currently the number one cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. The pathophysiology of NAFLD and disease progression is poorly understood. A potential contributing role for gut microbiome and metabolites in NAFLD is proposed. Currently, bariatric surgery is an effective therapy to prevent the progression of NAFLD and other manifestations of metabolic syndrome such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. This review provides an overview of gut microbiome composition and related metabolites in individuals with NAFLD and after bariatric surgery. Causality remains to be proven. Furthermore, the clinical effects of bariatric surgery on NAFLD are illustrated. Whether the gut microbiome and metabolites contribute to the metabolic improvement and improvement of NAFLD seen after bariatric surgery has not yet been proven. Future microbiome and metabolome research is necessary for elucidating the pathophysiology and underlying metabolic pathways and phenotypes and providing better methods for diagnostics, prognostics and surveillance to optimize clinical care.

Citing Articles

Beyond weight loss: exploring the neurological ramifications of altered gut microbiota post-bariatric surgery.

Almheiri R, Hajjar B, Alkhaaldi S, Rabeh N, Aljoudi S, Abd-Elrahman K J Transl Med. 2025; 23(1):223.

PMID: 39994634 PMC: 11852891. DOI: 10.1186/s12967-025-06201-2.

Gulf War Illness Is Associated with Host Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and Is Linked to Altered Species Abundance in Veterans from the BBRAIN Cohort.

Trivedi A, Bose D, Moffat K, Pearson E, Walsh D, Cohen D Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024; 21(8).

PMID: 39200711 PMC: 11354743. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21081102.

Role of Probiotics in Gut Microbiome and Metabolome in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Mouse Model: A Comparative Study.

Wu T, Zeng Z, Yu Y Microorganisms. 2024; 12(5).

PMID: 38792849 PMC: 11124503. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12051020.

Fecal microbiota transplantation for treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Mechanism, clinical evidence, and prospect.

Qiu X, Cheng S, Liu Y, Li Y, Zhang R, Li N World J Gastroenterol. 2024; 30(8):833-842.

PMID: 38516241 PMC: 10950639. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i8.833.

The role of microbiomes in gastrointestinal cancers: new insights.

Yarahmadi A, Afkhami H Front Oncol. 2024; 13:1344328.

PMID: 38361500 PMC: 10867565. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1344328.

References

Scorletti E, Afolabi P, Miles E, Smith D, Almehmadi A, Alshathry A . Synbiotics Alter Fecal Microbiomes, But Not Liver Fat or Fibrosis, in a Randomized Trial of Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Gastroenterology. 2020; 158(6):1597-1610.e7. PMC: 7613160. DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.01.031. View

Loomba R, Seguritan V, Li W, Long T, Klitgord N, Bhatt A . Gut Microbiome-Based Metagenomic Signature for Non-invasive Detection of Advanced Fibrosis in Human Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Cell Metab. 2017; 25(5):1054-1062.e5. PMC: 5502730. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.04.001. View

Bozadjieva Kramer N, Evers S, Shin J, Silverwood S, Wang Y, Burant C . The Role of Elevated Branched-Chain Amino Acids in the Effects of Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy to Reduce Weight and Improve Glucose Regulation. Cell Rep. 2020; 33(2):108239. PMC: 7605275. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108239. View

Glynn E, Piner L, Huffman K, Slentz C, Elliot-Penry L, AbouAssi H . Impact of combined resistance and aerobic exercise training on branched-chain amino acid turnover, glycine metabolism and insulin sensitivity in overweight humans. Diabetologia. 2015; 58(10):2324-35. PMC: 4793723. DOI: 10.1007/s00125-015-3705-6. View

Coppola S, Avagliano C, Calignano A, Berni Canani R . The Protective Role of Butyrate against Obesity and Obesity-Related Diseases. Molecules. 2021; 26(3). PMC: 7865491. DOI: 10.3390/molecules26030682. View

Verdier C, Denis S, Gasc C, Boucinha L, Uriot O, Delmas D . An Oral FMT Capsule as Efficient as an Enema for Microbiota Reconstruction Following Disruption by Antibiotics, as Assessed in an In Vitro Human Gut Model. Microorganisms. 2021; 9(2). PMC: 7918368. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020358. View

Murphy R, Tsai P, Jullig M, Liu A, Plank L, Booth M . Differential Changes in Gut Microbiota After Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy Bariatric Surgery Vary According to Diabetes Remission. Obes Surg. 2016; 27(4):917-925. DOI: 10.1007/s11695-016-2399-2. View

Overby H, Ferguson J . Gut Microbiota-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids Facilitate Microbiota:Host Cross talk and Modulate Obesity and Hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2021; 23(2):8. PMC: 7992370. DOI: 10.1007/s11906-020-01125-2. View

Kelly C, Zheng L, Campbell E, Saeedi B, Scholz C, Bayless A . Crosstalk between Microbiota-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Intestinal Epithelial HIF Augments Tissue Barrier Function. Cell Host Microbe. 2015; 17(5):662-71. PMC: 4433427. DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2015.03.005. View

10.

Wahlstrom A, Kovatcheva-Datchary P, Stahlman M, Backhed F, Marschall H . Crosstalk between Bile Acids and Gut Microbiota and Its Impact on Farnesoid X Receptor Signalling. Dig Dis. 2017; 35(3):246-250. DOI: 10.1159/000450982. View

11.

Meijnikman A, Aydin O, Prodan A, Tremaroli V, Herrema H, Levin E . Distinct differences in gut microbial composition and functional potential from lean to morbidly obese subjects. J Intern Med. 2020; 288(6):699-710. DOI: 10.1111/joim.13137. View

12.

Belgaumkar A, Vincent R, Carswell K, Hughes R, Alaghband-Zadeh J, Mitry R . Changes in Bile Acid Profile After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy are Associated with Improvements in Metabolic Profile and Fatty Liver Disease. Obes Surg. 2015; 26(6):1195-202. DOI: 10.1007/s11695-015-1878-1. View

13.

Depommier C, Everard A, Druart C, Plovier H, Van Hul M, Vieira-Silva S . Supplementation with Akkermansia muciniphila in overweight and obese human volunteers: a proof-of-concept exploratory study. Nat Med. 2019; 25(7):1096-1103. PMC: 6699990. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0495-2. View

14.

Sayin S, Wahlstrom A, Felin J, Jantti S, Marschall H, Bamberg K . Gut microbiota regulates bile acid metabolism by reducing the levels of tauro-beta-muricholic acid, a naturally occurring FXR antagonist. Cell Metab. 2013; 17(2):225-35. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2013.01.003. View

15.

Hoyles L, Fernandez-Real J, Federici M, Serino M, Abbott J, Charpentier J . Molecular phenomics and metagenomics of hepatic steatosis in non-diabetic obese women. Nat Med. 2018; 24(7):1070-1080. PMC: 6140997. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-018-0061-3. View

16.

von Schonfels W, Beckmann J, Ahrens M, Hendricks A, Rocken C, Szymczak S . Histologic improvement of NAFLD in patients with obesity after bariatric surgery based on standardized NAS (NAFLD activity score). Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2018; 14(10):1607-1616. DOI: 10.1016/j.soard.2018.07.012. View

17.

Yu D, Shu X, Howard E, Long J, English W, Flynn C . Fecal metagenomics and metabolomics reveal gut microbial changes after bariatric surgery. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2020; 16(11):1772-1782. PMC: 9057387. DOI: 10.1016/j.soard.2020.06.032. View

18.

Mardinoglu A, Agren R, Kampf C, Asplund A, Uhlen M, Nielsen J . Genome-scale metabolic modelling of hepatocytes reveals serine deficiency in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Nat Commun. 2014; 5:3083. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4083. View

19.

Wang B, Jiang X, Cao M, Ge J, Bao Q, Tang L . Altered Fecal Microbiota Correlates with Liver Biochemistry in Nonobese Patients with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Sci Rep. 2016; 6:32002. PMC: 4994089. DOI: 10.1038/srep32002. View

20.

Vrieze A, van Nood E, Holleman F, Salojarvi J, Kootte R, Bartelsman J . Transfer of intestinal microbiota from lean donors increases insulin sensitivity in individuals with metabolic syndrome. Gastroenterology. 2012; 143(4):913-6.e7. DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2012.06.031. View