mouse gut metagenome Raw sequence reads

The decrease of bone mineral density, osteopenia, and changes in bone tissue structure in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) are related to the disturbance of the body's microbiota, but the specific mechanism is still unclear. This study aims to investigate the potential mechanism of Cistanche deserticola (CD) in regulating intestinal flora and metabolism to improve postmenopausal osteoporosis. Bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) was used to establish a mouse osteoporosis model to investigate the improvement of the cell-broken decoction pieces of Cistanche deserticola (CDC) on disease characteristics and serum calcium and phosphorus levels in mice. Micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) analysis of the protective effect of CDC on bone structure. H&E staining and TRAP staining were used to observe the pathological changes and the formation of osteoclasts in tibia. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing and GC-MS were used to analyze the regulatory effects of CDC on intestinal flora and its metabolite short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in OVX mice, respectively. The results show that CDC improved intestinal microbial disorders, increased the diversity of intestinal flora, and promoted the production of beneficial bacteria of Firmicutes, Roseburia, and Oscillibacter that mainly produce SCFAs, and increased intestinal barrier function, thus protecting OVX mice from bone loss, which provides a reference for the clinical application of CDC in the prevention and treatment of PMO.