Protective role of propionate-producing Bacteroides in inflammatory arthritis

Mice were given drinking water containing DSS and then subjected to inflammatory arthritis. We compared phenotypic symptoms between cohoused mice and separately housed mice. Additionally, donor mice were divided into DSS-treated and untreated groups and then cohoused with recipient mice, followed by arthritis induction in recipients. Fecal microbiome was analyzed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. We found that mice treated with DSS have less symptoms of inflammatory arthritis. Nonetheless, the gut microbiota contributed, at least partly, to the colitis-mediated arthritis improvement.