Correlation of intestinal flora and serum metabolites in NiONPs induced-liver fibrosis via metagenomics and metabonomics analysis

We collected serum samples for whole metabonomics sequencing, screened out 7 lipids-like molecules and organic acids that related with the function alteration of unsaturated fatty acids biosynthesis, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, progesterone-mediated ooyte maturation (P<0.05). Then we collected colon fecal samples for whole metagenomics sepquncing, obtained 911892 Unigenes and the dominant bacterial phyla were Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Spirochaetes and Actinobacteria. We also found the abundance of probiotics decreased and the flora enzyme activity varied (P<0.05), indicating NiONPs inhibited the proliferation of probiotics.