Unilateral ureteral obstruction causes gut microbial dysbiosis and metabolome disorders contributing to tubulointerstitial fibrosis

• Main Authors: Lin Chen, Dan-Qian Chen, Jing-Ru Liu, Jun Zhang, Nosratola D. Vaziri, Shougang Zhuang, Hua Chen, Ya-Long Feng, Yan Guo, Ying-Yong Zhao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Publishing Group 2019-03-01
• Series: Experimental and Molecular Medicine
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s12276-019-0234-2
• ISSN: 1226-3613; 2092-6413

Chronic kidney disease: The contribution of gut bacteria An imbalance in gut bacteria contributes to kidney tissue scarring and declined kidney function. An international study led by Ying-Yong Zhao at Northwest University, Xi’an, China, analyzed the composition of the gut microbes in a rat model of chronic renal injury. They found that urinary tract obstruction was associated with changes in gut microbe composition and altered gut microbe-related metabolism of lipids, amino acids and bile acid. Lower levels of the essential amino acid tryptophan in plasma were linked to the deterioration of renal function. Treatment with ergone, a compound extracted from medicinal mushrooms, restored the levels of plasma tryptophan as well as the expression of proteins involved in maintaining the intestinal barrier. These findings suggest that restoring the function of the intestinal barrier could prevent kidney damage due to microbial imbalance in the gut.