Study on the effect of pancrelipase on the composition of intestinal microbiota in mice

Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) is a well-established therapy for treating chronic pancreatitis patients suffering pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI). However, the mechanism in which PERT exhibits its effect is not completely known. Recent studies have shown results suggesting that intestinal microbiota is related with the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis. Thus, we hypothesized that PERT has the ability to modify intestinal microbiota along with its other known effects such as promotion of fat and protein absorption. In the present study we have conducted bacterial 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of intestinal microbiotas of cecum, transverse colon, and stool samples originating from male C57BL/6J mice treated with either pancrelipase or tap water.