Scientists continue to unravel links between body weight and the gut microbiome. Now, researchers report an unexpected finding: mice fed a fatty diet and mannose, a sugar, were protected from weight gain, leaner, and more fit--and this effect tracked with changes in the gut microbiome. The study published in Cell Reports.
"Obesity and related diseases, such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), are on the rise--and scientists are on the hunt for new treatments, particularly for individuals who are unable to exercise," says the senior author of the paper. "Better understanding of mannose's effects on the gut microbiome may lead to new therapies for treating obesity."
The team was studying mannose in the context of a rare disease called a congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG). People with a specific form of the disease can be treated with mannose. While conducting their research, the scientists observed the anti-obesity effects of mannose feeding.
A closer look revealed the mice were also protected from typical negative effects of a fatty diet. They had less body fat, reduced fat in their liver, stable blood sugar--and even improved fitness. Surprisingly, these benefits were only seen when the mice received mannose early in life--older mice didn't benefit from mannose.
"The gut microbiome is very dynamic in early life," says the lead author of the paper. "Because only young mice that received mannose exhibited leaness, we thought the microbiome might be involved."
Despite eating the same amount of fatty food, mannose-fed mice absorbed fewer nutrients-and instead excreted them. Further work showed the gut microbial composition mirrored that of lean mice fed a regular diet. When mannose was removed, the mice on the fatty diet regained weight, and their gut microbiome composition shifted to resemble that of the obese mice that ate fatty food but didn't receive mannose. The scientists also found that the gut microbes of the mannose-fed mice were less efficient at processing carbohydrates--an energy source.
"These findings further confirm the important role of the gut microbiome in metabolism," says the senior author. "The microbiome partially explains the beneficial effects of mannose, but how exactly it affects the body's metabolism remains a mystery."
https://www.sbpdiscovery.org/press/mannoses-unexpected-effects-on-microbiome-and-weight-gain
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(18)31368-8
Latest News
Tumor infiltration of immun…
By newseditor
Posted 28 May
New light-controlled 'off s…
By newseditor
Posted 28 May
Gene function during embryo…
By newseditor
Posted 28 May
Formation of 3D blood vesse…
By newseditor
Posted 27 May
Liver regeneration during c…
By newseditor
Posted 27 May
Other Top Stories
Zebra fish, an animal model to study chronic stress?
Read more
Childhood Brain Function and Memory Skills Shape Each Other
Read more
Electrical nerve stimulation to control hypertension?
Read more
Glutamate plume in migraine
Read more
Dissociating the cell death and axonal outgrowth in neurons
Read more
Protocols
SEMORE: SEgmentation and MO…
By newseditor
Posted 26 May
Spatially resolved lipidomi…
By newseditor
Posted 24 May
Efficient expansion and CRI…
By newseditor
Posted 21 May
Massively parallel in vivo…
By newseditor
Posted 20 May
Breast cancer-on-chip for p…
By newseditor
Posted 16 May
Publications
I Am Curious About Cannabis…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
Advanced microbiome therape…
By newseditor
Posted 29 May
Hippocampal astrocytes indu…
By newseditor
Posted 29 May
TNIK's emerging role in can…
By newseditor
Posted 29 May
Diabetes drugs activate neu…
By newseditor
Posted 29 May
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar