Obesity is associated with a distinct brain-gut microbiome signature that connects Prevotella and Bacteroides to the brain’s reward center

The prevalence of obesity has risen to its highest values over the last two decades. While many studies have either shown brain or microbiome connections to obesity, few have attempted to analyze the brain-gut-microbiome relationship in a large cohort adjusting for cofounders. Therefore, we aim to e...

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Main Authors: Tien S. Dong, Michelle Guan, Emeran A. Mayer, Jean Stains, Cathy Liu, Priten Vora, Jonathan P. Jacobs, Venu Lagishetty, Lin Chang, Robert L. Barry, Arpana Gupta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2022-12-01
Series:Gut Microbes
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19490976.2022.2051999
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author Tien S. Dong
Michelle Guan
Emeran A. Mayer
Jean Stains
Cathy Liu
Priten Vora
Jonathan P. Jacobs
Venu Lagishetty
Lin Chang
Robert L. Barry
Arpana Gupta
author_facet Tien S. Dong
Michelle Guan
Emeran A. Mayer
Jean Stains
Cathy Liu
Priten Vora
Jonathan P. Jacobs
Venu Lagishetty
Lin Chang
Robert L. Barry
Arpana Gupta
author_sort Tien S. Dong
collection DOAJ
description The prevalence of obesity has risen to its highest values over the last two decades. While many studies have either shown brain or microbiome connections to obesity, few have attempted to analyze the brain-gut-microbiome relationship in a large cohort adjusting for cofounders. Therefore, we aim to explore the connection of the brain-gut-microbiome axis to obesity controlling for such cofounders as sex, race, and diet. Whole brain resting state functional MRI was acquired, and connectivity and brain network properties were calculated. Fecal samples were obtained from 287 obese and non-obese participants (males n = 99, females n = 198) for 16s rRNA profiling and fecal metabolites, along with a validated dietary questionnaire. Obesity was associated with alterations in the brain’s reward network (nucleus accumbens, brainstem). Microbial diversity (p = .03) and composition (p = .03) differed by obesity independent of sex, race, or diet. Obesity was associated with an increase in Prevotella/Bacteroides (P/B) ratio and a decrease in fecal tryptophan (p = .02). P/B ratio was positively correlated to nucleus accumbens centrality (p = .03) and negatively correlated to fecal tryptophan (p = .004). Being Hispanic, eating a standard American diet, having a high Prevotella/Bacteroides ratio, and a high nucleus accumbens centrality were all independent risk factors for obesity. There are obesity-related signatures in the BGM-axis independent of sex, race, and diet. Race, diet, P/B ratio and increased nucleus accumbens centrality were independent risk factors for obesity. P/B ratio was inversely related to fecal tryptophan, a metabolite related to serotonin biosynthesis, and positively related to nucleus accumbens centrality, a region central to the brain’s reward center. These findings may expand the field of therapies for obesity through novel pathways directed at the BGM axis.
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spelling doaj-art-84f43b27e4f74e38872672f004a0992a2025-08-20T03:22:16ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGut Microbes1949-09761949-09842022-12-0114110.1080/19490976.2022.2051999Obesity is associated with a distinct brain-gut microbiome signature that connects Prevotella and Bacteroides to the brain’s reward centerTien S. Dong0Michelle Guan1Emeran A. Mayer2Jean Stains3Cathy Liu4Priten Vora5Jonathan P. Jacobs6Venu Lagishetty7Lin Chang8Robert L. Barry9Arpana Gupta10Department of Medicine, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases Los Angeles, USADepartment of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine Los Angeles, USADepartment of Medicine, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases Los Angeles, USADepartment of Medicine, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases Los Angeles, USADepartment of Medicine, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases Los Angeles, USADepartment of Medicine, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases Los Angeles, USADepartment of Medicine, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases Los Angeles, USADepartment of Medicine, UCLA Microbiome Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Los Angeles, USADepartment of Medicine, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases Los Angeles, USADepartment of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USADepartment of Medicine, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases Los Angeles, USAThe prevalence of obesity has risen to its highest values over the last two decades. While many studies have either shown brain or microbiome connections to obesity, few have attempted to analyze the brain-gut-microbiome relationship in a large cohort adjusting for cofounders. Therefore, we aim to explore the connection of the brain-gut-microbiome axis to obesity controlling for such cofounders as sex, race, and diet. Whole brain resting state functional MRI was acquired, and connectivity and brain network properties were calculated. Fecal samples were obtained from 287 obese and non-obese participants (males n = 99, females n = 198) for 16s rRNA profiling and fecal metabolites, along with a validated dietary questionnaire. Obesity was associated with alterations in the brain’s reward network (nucleus accumbens, brainstem). Microbial diversity (p = .03) and composition (p = .03) differed by obesity independent of sex, race, or diet. Obesity was associated with an increase in Prevotella/Bacteroides (P/B) ratio and a decrease in fecal tryptophan (p = .02). P/B ratio was positively correlated to nucleus accumbens centrality (p = .03) and negatively correlated to fecal tryptophan (p = .004). Being Hispanic, eating a standard American diet, having a high Prevotella/Bacteroides ratio, and a high nucleus accumbens centrality were all independent risk factors for obesity. There are obesity-related signatures in the BGM-axis independent of sex, race, and diet. Race, diet, P/B ratio and increased nucleus accumbens centrality were independent risk factors for obesity. P/B ratio was inversely related to fecal tryptophan, a metabolite related to serotonin biosynthesis, and positively related to nucleus accumbens centrality, a region central to the brain’s reward center. These findings may expand the field of therapies for obesity through novel pathways directed at the BGM axis.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19490976.2022.2051999Brain-Gut-MicrobiomePrevotellaBacteroidesObesitynucleus accumbens
spellingShingle Tien S. Dong
Michelle Guan
Emeran A. Mayer
Jean Stains
Cathy Liu
Priten Vora
Jonathan P. Jacobs
Venu Lagishetty
Lin Chang
Robert L. Barry
Arpana Gupta
Obesity is associated with a distinct brain-gut microbiome signature that connects Prevotella and Bacteroides to the brain’s reward center
Gut Microbes
Brain-Gut-Microbiome
Prevotella
Bacteroides
Obesity
nucleus accumbens
title Obesity is associated with a distinct brain-gut microbiome signature that connects Prevotella and Bacteroides to the brain’s reward center
title_full Obesity is associated with a distinct brain-gut microbiome signature that connects Prevotella and Bacteroides to the brain’s reward center
title_fullStr Obesity is associated with a distinct brain-gut microbiome signature that connects Prevotella and Bacteroides to the brain’s reward center
title_full_unstemmed Obesity is associated with a distinct brain-gut microbiome signature that connects Prevotella and Bacteroides to the brain’s reward center
title_short Obesity is associated with a distinct brain-gut microbiome signature that connects Prevotella and Bacteroides to the brain’s reward center
title_sort obesity is associated with a distinct brain gut microbiome signature that connects prevotella and bacteroides to the brain s reward center
topic Brain-Gut-Microbiome
Prevotella
Bacteroides
Obesity
nucleus accumbens
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19490976.2022.2051999
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