Mucosa-associated gut microbiome in Japanese patients with functional constipation

Yoshihiko Sugitani; Ryo Inoue; Osamu Inatomi; Atsushi Nishida; So Morishima; Takayuki Imai; Masahiro Kawahara; Yuji Naito; Akira Andoh

doi:10.3164/jcbn.20-93

Mucosa-associated gut microbiome in Japanese patients with functional constipation

J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2021 Mar;68(2):187-192. doi: 10.3164/jcbn.20-93. Epub 2020 Sep 30.

Authors

Yoshihiko Sugitani¹, Ryo Inoue², Osamu Inatomi¹, Atsushi Nishida¹, So Morishima², Takayuki Imai¹, Masahiro Kawahara¹, Yuji Naito³, Akira Andoh¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga 520-2192, Japan.
² Laboratory of Animal Science, Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Setsunan University, Nagaotoge-cho 45-1, Hirakata, Osaka 573-0101, Japan.
³ Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan.

Abstract

The number of patients with chronic constipation is increasing in Japan. We investigated the gut mucosa-associated microbiome in Japanese patients with functional constipation. Diagnosis was made according to the Rome IV criteria. Mucosal samples were obtained by gentle brushing of mucosa surfaces. The gut microbiome was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. There were no significant differences in bacteria α-diversity such as richness and evenness. The PCoA indicated significant structural differences between the constipation group and healthy controls (p = 0.017 for unweighted and p = 0.027 for weighted). The abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes was significantly higher in the constipation group. The abundance of the genera Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, Comamonas, and Alistipes was significantly higher in the constipation group. The abundance of the genera Acinetobacter, Oscillospilla, Mucispirillum, Propinibacterium, and Anaerotruncus was significantly lower in the constipation group. In the constipation group, the proportion of genes responsible for sulfur metabolism, selenocompound metabolism, sulfur relay system was significantly higher and the proportion of d-arginine and d-ornithine metabolism and flavonoid biosynthesis was significantly lower. In conclusion, we identified differences of the mucosa-associated microbiome between Japanese patients with functional constipation and healthy controls. The mucosa-associated microbiome of functional constipation was characterized by higher levels of Bacteroidetes (Alistipes).

Keywords: butyrate; constipation; microbiota.