Excess dietary fructose does not alter gut microbiota or permeability in humans: A pilot randomized controlled study

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasing cause of chronic liver disease that accompanies obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Excess fructose consumption can initiate or exacerbate NAFLD in part due to a consequence of impaired hepatic fructose metabolism. Preclinical data emphasized that fructose-induced altered gut microbiome, increased gut permeability, and endotoxemia play an important role in NAFLD, but human studies are sparse. The present study aimed to determine if two weeks of excess fructose consumption significantly alters gut microbiota or permeability in humans.

非酒精性脂肪性肝病（Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD）是一类日益增多的慢性肝病病因，常与肥胖及代谢综合征伴随发生。过量摄入果糖可诱发或加重非酒精性脂肪性肝病，这在一定程度上源于肝脏果糖代谢受损所带来的影响。临床前研究数据表明，果糖诱导的肠道菌群失调、肠道通透性升高及内毒素血症在非酒精性脂肪性肝病的发生发展中发挥重要作用，但相关人体研究尚较为匮乏。本研究旨在探究为期两周的过量果糖摄入是否会对人体肠道菌群及肠道通透性产生显著影响。