mouse gut metagenome Raw sequence reads. mouse gut metagenome

This study employed low and high-fat purified diets containing two levels of added dietary cholesterol in conventionally raised, specific-pathogen free (SPF) mice harboring a full microbial community as compared to germ-free (GF) mice raised in complete absence of gut microbes on disease outcomes. It was hypothesized that FF-diets would lead to an earlier onset of gut dysbiosis, corresponding with elevated biomarkers of NAFLD and NASH. In the present study, we aimed to dissect the role of FF diet induced gut dysbiosis in order to mechanistically identify the underlying mechanism that influences gut-liver crosstalk between specific diet-induced bacterial populations and hepatic tissue to drive NAFLD/NASH onset and progression. Germ-free and SPF mice were fed one of four purified diets for either 8 or 24 weeks and saccrificed. NAFLD/NASH progression was evaluated via histology and biochemical analyses and concomitant changes in gut microbiota was assessed via 16S gene sequencing.