Calorie Restriction Prevents Age-Related Changes in the Intestinal Microbiota

The effect of calorie restriction (CR) on the microbiome from the cecum and colon of adult and old male mice was compared. Life-long CR increased microbial diversity and the Bacteriodetes/Fermicutes ratio and prevented the age-related changes in the microbiota, shifting it to a younger microbial profile in both C57BL/6JN and B6D2F1 mice. Old mice fed CR were enriched in the Rikenellaceae, S24-7 and Bacteroides families. The changes in the microbiome that occur with age and CR were initiated in the cecum and modified as the fecal material progresses to the colon. Short-term CR in adult mice had a minor effect on the microbiome but a major effect on the transcriptome of the colon mucosa. These data suggest that the primary impact of CR is on the physiological status of the gastrointestinal system, maintaining it in a more youthful state, which in turn results in a more diverse and youthful microbiome.

本研究对比了热量限制（calorie restriction, CR）对成年与老年雄性小鼠盲肠及结肠菌群的影响。终生热量限制可提升C57BL/6JN与B6D2F1两种品系小鼠的菌群多样性及拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）/厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）比值，抑制菌群的年龄相关性改变，使其菌群谱向年轻化方向转变。喂食热量限制饲料的老年小鼠，其肠道内理研菌科（Rikenellaceae）、S24-7菌科及拟杆菌属（Bacteroides）的丰度显著升高。年龄相关与热量限制诱导的菌群变化首先起始于盲肠，并随着粪便向结肠转运的过程中发生适应性修饰。成年小鼠接受短期热量限制干预后，其肠道菌群仅出现轻微变化，但结肠黏膜的转录组却发生显著改变。上述研究结果表明，热量限制的核心作用靶点为胃肠道系统的生理状态，可维持其更年轻化的功能状态，进而促使菌群多样性提升并维持菌群年轻化特征。