gut microbiota for animal or patients with ALI. gut metagenome

The aim of these study to test the hypothesis that rhubarb alleviates gut microbiota dysbiosis and inflammation. Feces were collected from patients with ALI to detect the gut microbiota using 16S rDNA sequencing. Subsequently, a mouse model of ALI was established using lipopolysaccharide to investigate changes in the gut microbiota, the peripheral blood was attained for detecting the Th17/Treg cell ratio and the serum level of HDAC6 and HDAC9, The results indicated that both the Firmicutes phylum decreased and the Bacteroidetes phylum increased were identified in patients with ALI. The mice models also showed a similar imbalance in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio at phylum of level. Rhubarb treatment alleviated the damaged lung tissue, accelerated Alistipes, Clostridium and Lactobacillus proliferation at the level of genus, and markedly reduced the Treg cells and increased the Th17 cells in the spleen tissue. The study suggested that both patients and mouse models with ALI presented gut microbiota dysbiosis, and lead to a Th17/Treg cell imbalance in ALI mouse. Rhubarb promoted Alistipes, Clostridium and Lactobacillus proliferation, increased the HDAC6 concentration, restored the Th17/Treg cell balance, and protected against ALI.