Analysis of the V3 region of 16S rRNA gene amplified from DNA extracted from fecal samples of mice receiving high salt diet or normal diet. mouse gut metagenome

Changes in hygiene and dietary habits, including increased consumption of foods high in fat, simple sugars and salt are known to impact the composition and function of the intestinal microbiota, may explain the increased prevalence of chronic inflammatory diseases. High salt consumption has been shown to worsen autoimmune encephalomyelitis and colitis in mouse models through p38/MAPK signaling pathway. However, the effect of high salt diet (HSD) on gut microbiota and on intestinal immune homeostasis, and their roles in determining vulnerability to inflammatory stimuli are unknown. Here we investigate the role of gut microbiota alterations induced by HSD on the severity of murine experimental colitis.Our results indicate that the exacerbation of colitis induced by HSD is associated with reduction in Lactobacillus and protective short chain fatty acid production, as well as changes in host immune status. We hypothesize these changes alter gut immune homeostasis and lead to increased vulnerability to inflammatory insults.