mouse gut microbiota sequencing and assembly

Certain foods are known as 'heating' foods in Chinese medicine as over consumption of them can lead to symptoms known as 'heating up', which have been shown to be symptoms of systemic low-grade inflammation. However, the mechanism by which these foods cause inflammation is not clear. In this study, we investigated dysbacteriosis of gut microbiota as a possible cause of inflammation by litchi, a typical 'heating' food. Human flora-associated (HFA) mice model was constructed by first sterilizing their guts by oral administration of antibiotics, and then transplantation of fecal microbial suspension from a healthy human adult. After gavaging the mice with litchi powder suspension at low, medium and high doses for seven days, the serum level of inflammatory cytokines, gut microbiota and the integrity of intestinal mucosal barrier were measured.