Chronic sucralose consumption inhibits farnesoid X receptor signaling and perturbs lipid and cholesterol homeostasis in the mouse livers, potentially by altering gut microbiota functions

Abstract

Sucralose has raised concerns regarding its safety and recent studies have demonstrated that sucralose consumption can disrupt the normal gut microbiome and alter metabolic profiles in mice. However, the extent to which this perturbation affects the functional interaction between the microbiota and the host, as well as its potential impact on host health, remains largely unexplored. Here, we aimed to investigate whether chronic sucralose consumption, at levels within the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), could disturb key gut microbial functions and lead to adverse health effects in mice. Following six-month sucralose consumption, several bacterial genera associated with bile acid metabolism were decreased, including Lactobacillus and Ruminococcus. Consequently, the richness of secondary bile acid biosynthetic pathway and bacterial bile salt hydrolase gene were decreased in the sucralose-treated gut microbiome. Compared to controls, sucralose-consuming mice exhibited significantly lower ratios of free bile acids and taurine-conjugated bile acids in their livers. Additionally, several farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists were decreased in sucralose-treated mice. This reduction in hepatic FXR activation was associated with altered expression of down-stream genes, in the liver. Moreover, the expression of key lipogenic genes was up-regulated in the livers of sucralose-treated mice. Changes in hepatic lipid profiles were also observed, characterized by lower ceramide levels, a decreased PC/PE ratio, and a mildly increase in lipid accumulation. Additionally, sucralose-consumed mice exhibited higher hepatic cholesterol level compared to control mice, with up-regulation of cholesterol efflux genes and down-regulation of genes associated with reverse cholesterol transport. In conclusion, chronic sucralose consumption disrupts FXR signaling activation and perturbs hepatic lipid and cholesterol homeostasis, potentially by diminishing the bile acid metabolic capacity of the gut microbiome. These findings shed light on the complex interplay between sucralose, the gut microbiota, and host metabolism, raising important questions about the safety of its long-term consumption.

Keywords: Bile acids; FXR; Gut microbiota; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Sucralose.