Physical activity induced alterations of gut microbiota in humans: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Gut microbiota is considered to have a great impact on human health and disease. While it is widely recognized that the gut microbiota of healthy individuals differs from those with obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic syndrome, and other chronic diseases, the alterations of gut microbiota with physical activity are not fully understood. Accordingly, we performed this systematic review to address the question regarding the effects of mild and intense exercise on the gut microbiota in humans. METHODS: The comparative analyses of gut microbiota were conducted following the PRISMA protocol to determine the differences in the active vs. non-active individuals (phenotypes) (n = 11), including the influence of physical activity intervention on the human gut microbiota (n = 13); the differences in the gut microbiota of athletes vs. non-athletes (n = 8); and the microbiota status at different stages of athletic performance or intervention (n = 7), with various of physical activities, sport disciplines, and activity duration. Literature searches were completed using four databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCO, and 2090 articles were retrieved by using appropriate keywords. The low heterogeneity of the studies hasn't allowed us to prepare a meta-analysis. After excluding 2052 articles, we ultimately selected 38 articles that met the eligibility criteria for this review. RESULTS: The data analyses revealed that in non-athletes rising physical activity markedly influenced the relative abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA). Aerobic training that lasted 60 min, and physical activity that characterized 60% HRmax or more also influenced beta diversity indexes. The results showed that athletes harbor a more diverse type of intestinal microflora than non-athletes, but with a relatively reduced abundance of SCFA- and lactic acid-producing bacteria, thereby suggesting an adverse effect of intense exercise on the population of gut microbiota. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the level of physical activity modulates the gastrointestinal microbiota in humans. For a long period, increasing the intensity and volume of exercise may lead to gut dysbiosis. Perhaps, proper supplementation should be considered to keep gut microbiota in large biodiversity and richness, especially under unfavorable gut conditions associated with intense exercise. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Prospero CRD42021264064.

A Systematic Review of the Influence of Bovine Colostrum Supplementation on Leaky Gut Syndrome in Athletes: Diagnostic Biomarkers and Future Directions.

BACKGROUND: Bovine colostrum (BC) contains a myriad of bioactive molecules that are renowned for possessing unique medicinal benefits in children and adults, and BC supplements are considered safe and cost-effective options to manage/prevent the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and gut-related problems in athletes. In this review, we will try to answer the question: How will BC supplementation ameliorate gut permeability problems among athletes? METHODS: Literature searches were performed using PRISMA guidance to identify studies assessing the influence of BC supplements on gut permeability. Studies were selected using four databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCO, and a total number of 60 articles were retrieved by using appropriate keywords. RESULTS: Nine studies were selected that met the eligibility criteria for this review. The data analysis revealed that vigorous exercise profoundly increases intestinal permeability, and BC supplementation helps to reverse gut permeability in athletes. CONCLUSION: BC supplementation may be highly beneficial in improving gut permeability in athletes. However, well-designed, placebo-controlled, and randomized studies are needed to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy and to determine the optimal dose schedules of BC supplementation in high-performance athletes.

Effect of an acute exercise on early responses of iron and iron regulatory proteins in young female basketball players.

BACKGROUND: The accumulation of physiological stress and the presence of inflammation disturb iron management in athletes during intense training. However, little is known about the mechanisms regulating iron levels in athletes during training periods with low training loads. In the current study, we analyzed the effect of an acute exercise on early responses of iron and iron regulatory proteins at the end of such training periods. METHODS: The study was performed at the end of competitive phase of training. A total of 27 trained female basketball players were included in the study after application of the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The participants performed an incremental exercise on a treadmill. Blood samples were taken before the test, immediately after exercise, and after 3 h of restitution. Parameters, such as interleukin (IL) 6, hepcidin, ferritin, transferrin, hemopexin, and lactoferrin levels, total iron-biding capacity (TIBC), unsaturated iron-biding capacity (UIBC) were determined by using appropriate biochemical tests. RESULTS: The level of iron increased significantly after exercise, and then decreased within next 3 h restitution. Except for iron levels, only TIBC levels significantly increased after exercise and decreased to baseline level during rest period. No significant changes in the levels of hepcidin, IL-6, and other proteins related to the iron homeostasis were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The increases in iron level after acute exercise is short-term and transient and appear to have been insufficient to induce the acute systemic effects in rested athletes.

Type 1 diabetes: genes associated with disease development.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the third most common autoimmune disease which develops due to genetic and environmental risk factors. Based on the World Health Organization (WHO) report from 2014 the number of people suffering from all types of diabetes ascended to 422 million, compared to 108 million in 1980. It was calculated that this number will double by the end of 2030. In 2015 American Diabetes Association (ADA) announced that 30.3 million Americans (that is 9.4% of the overall population) had diabetes of which only approximately 1.25 million had T1D. Nowadays, T1D represents roughly 10% of adult diabetes cases total. Multiple genetic abnormalities at different loci have been found to contribute to type 1 diabetes development. The analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of T1D has identified over 50 susceptible regions (and genes within these regions). Many of these regions are defined by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) but molecular mechanisms through which they increase or lower the risk of diabetes remain unknown. Genetic factors (in existence since birth) can be detected long before the emergence of immunological or clinical markers. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the multiple genetic factors underlying T1D is extremely important for further clinical trials and development of personalized medicine for diabetic patients. We present an overview of current studies and information about regions in the human genome associated with T1D. Moreover, we also put forward information about epigenetic modifications, non-coding RNAs and environmental factors involved in T1D development and onset.

Changes in Gene Expression of Selected Genes in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes and Pancreas Transplant in Peripheral Blood.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is an autoimmunologic disease that may have a different background. The aim of our study was to show that type 1 diabetes is accompanied by changes in gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We analyzed the genes characteristic of pancreatic islet cells and genes playing a big part in autoimmune diseases and cancer. DESIGN: The study included 21 patients and was performed to examine the expression of 9 genes. The patients were divided into 3 research groups: people with type 1 diabetes, people with diabetes after pancreas transplant, and a control group of healthy patients. To assess the level of expression, RNA material was obtained from peripheral blood collected from individuals qualified for the study. RESULTS: The results of the study showed many interesting changes in the expression level of the analyzed genes. It was demonstrated that CASR gene expression was significantly higher in transplant patients than in diabetic patients. Differences in the level of activity are also noted in genes that take part in autoimmune diseases. PROPOSAL: Profiling gene expression in peripheral blood samples may be a useful and noninvasive diagnostic tool that allows early detection of changes leading to the onset or resumption of diabetes.

PROMIS, global analysis of PROtein-metabolite interactions using size separation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Small molecules not only represent cellular building blocks and metabolic intermediates, but also regulatory ligands and signaling molecules that interact with proteins. Although these interactions affect cellular metabolism, growth, and development, they have been largely understudied. Herein, we describe a method, which we named PROtein-Metabolite Interactions using Size separation (PROMIS), that allows simultaneous, global analysis of endogenous protein-small molecule and of protein-protein complexes. To this end, a cell-free native lysate from Arabidopsis thaliana cell cultures was fractionated by size-exclusion chromatography, followed by quantitative metabolomic and proteomic analyses. Proteins and small molecules showing similar elution behavior, across protein-containing fractions, constituted putative interactors. Applying PROMIS to an A. thaliana extract, we ascertained known protein-protein (PPIs) and protein-metabolite (PMIs) interactions and reproduced binding between small-molecule protease inhibitors and their respective proteases. More importantly, we present examples of two experimental strategies that exploit the PROMIS dataset to identify novel PMIs. By looking for similar elution behavior of metabolites and enzymes belonging to the same biochemical pathways, we identified putative feedback and feed-forward regulations in pantothenate biosynthesis and the methionine salvage cycle, respectively. By combining PROMIS with an orthogonal affinity purification approach, we identified an interaction between the dipeptide Tyr-Asp and the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. In summary, we present proof of concept for a powerful experimental tool that enables system-wide analysis of PMIs and PPIs across all biological systems. The dataset obtained here comprises nearly 140 metabolites and 5000 proteins, which can be mined for putative interactors.