A review conducted by an international team of scientists identified a connective factor between gut microbiome diversity and inflammatory bowel disease, namely, that diets which promote P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a protein beneficial to gut microbial diversity, can help to mitigate the symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
 
While it’s unclear, the researchers from University of Bath and University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School said that short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids in higher quantities are able to influence the production of P-gp, laying the groundwork for investigations into how these molecules affect gene and protein regulation.
 
Both short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids exist in the gut in healthy quantities only when certain microbes are under ideal thriving conditions. These microbes are known to contribute to the digestion of fiber and green leafy vegetables, and the latest findings support a bank of evidence that the health of a person’s microbiome, and therefore overall wellbeing, can be linked to diet, the authors said.
 
There is a wide degree of variability person-to-person when it comes to the gut microbiome, however, digestive health tends to be linked to a certain balance of beneficial bacteria strains and species. This balance can be disturbed by certain dietary factors, including high amounts of sugar and fats, and low amounts of plant-based protein, all of which is linked to worsened production of short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids.
 
Previous research conducted by the authors of the current study found that P-gp releases anti-inflammatory compounds into the gut. These molecules, which are endocannabinoids, can beneficially modulate inflammation. The present study built upon these findings with a demonstration of how the anti-inflammatory P-gp pathway is constantly balanced with a pro-inflammatory process. These opposing pathways communicate to keep the gut healthy. In the absence of infection, the anti-inflammatory P-gp pathway is active to suppress unnecessary inflammation, while the pro-inflammatory pathway is poised to launch an immune response to protect against intestinal infection. This balance is shown to be poorly managed in cases of inflammatory disease.
 
For these reasons, the authors hypothesize that probiotic interventions may be efficacious in treating inflammatory intestinal diseases, and highlight possible potential in overall dietary changes which could support the microbiome to promote or sustain P-gp expression in the intestine.
 
“We are excited to find that not only is there a link between the gut microbiome and P-gp regulation in the intestine, but that two classes of microbial molecules actually work together to trigger expression of P-gp,” Sage Foley, lead author of the study, said. “This highlights the importance of a functioning core microbial community to have maximal impact on the human body. While even within an individual the relative abundance of microbes can fluctuate, we’re beginning to understand the importance of nourishing the microbial community as a whole. Though there is still much to explore, we suspect this may be possible through changes to the diet or through the delivery of groupings by microbes.”