Changes in the gut microbiota and fermentation products associated with enhanced longevity in acarbose-treated mice. mouse gut metagenome

Treatment with the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose increases median lifespan by approximately 20% in male mice and 5% in females. By inhibiting host digestion, acarbose increases the flux of starch to the lower digestive system, resulting in changes to the gut microbiota and their fermentation products. Given the documented health benefits of short-chain fatty acids, the dominant products of starch fermentation by gut bacteria, this secondary effect of acarbose could contribute to increased longevity in mice. To explore this hypothesis, we compared the fecal microbiome of control mice and mice in which acarbose treatment had been started at 8 months of age at three independent study sites.