| First Author | Wichmann A | Year | 2013 |
| Journal | Cell Host Microbe | Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 582-90 |
| PubMed ID | 24237703 | Mgi Jnum | J:302347 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6508144 | Doi | 10.1016/j.chom.2013.09.012 |
| Citation | Wichmann A, et al. (2013) Microbial modulation of energy availability in the colon regulates intestinal transit. Cell Host Microbe 14(5):582-90 |
| abstractText | Gut microbiota contribute to host metabolic efficiency by increasing energy availability through the fermentation of dietary fiber and production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the colon. SCFAs are proposed to stimulate secretion of the proglucagon (Gcg)-derived incretin hormone GLP-1, which stimulates insulin secretion (incretin response) and inhibits gastric emptying. We find that germ-free (GF) and antibiotic-treated mice, which have severely reduced SCFA levels, have increased basal GLP-1 levels in the plasma and increased Gcg expression in the colon. Increasing energy supply, either through colonization with polysaccharide-fermenting bacteria or through diet, suppressed colonic Gcg expression in GF mice. Increased GLP-1 levels in GF mice did not improve the incretin response but instead slowed intestinal transit. Thus, microbiota regulate the basal levels of GLP-1, and increasing these levels may be an adaptive response to insufficient energy availability in the colon that slows intestinal transit and allows for greater nutrient absorption. |
