Bacterial 16S rRNA genes. mouse gut metagenome

Non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome and can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Alterations in the gut microbiome have been implicated in the development of NAFLD/NASH, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We found that the consumption of a prebiotic, inulin, markedly ameliorated the phenotype of NAFLD/NASH, including hepatic steatosis and fibrosis, in mice. Inulin consumption resulted in global changes in the gut microbiome and increased the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids, particularly acetate, in the gut lumen and portal blood. Bacteria were isolated from inulin-fed mice feces.