RESUMO
The microbiological, physical, chemical, and immunological barriers of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) begin developing in utero and finish maturing postnatally. Maturation of these barriers is essential for the proper functioning of the GIT. Maturation, particularly of the immunological barrier, involves stimulation by bacteria. Segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) which are anaerobic, spore-forming commensals have been linked to immune activation. The presence and changes in SFB abundance have been positively correlated to immune markers (cytokines and immunoglobulins) in the rat ileum and stool samples, pre- and post-weaning. The abundance of SFB in infant stool increases from 6 months, peaks around 12 months and plateaus 25 months post-weaning. Changes in SFB abundance at these times correlate positively and negatively with the production of interleukin 17 (IL 17) and immunoglobulin A (IgA), respectively, indicating involvement in immune function and maturation. Additionally, the peak in SFB abundance when a human milk diet was complemented by solid foods hints at a diet effect. SFB genome analysis revealed enzymes involved in metabolic pathways for survival, growth and development, host mucosal attachment and substrate acquisition. This narrative review discusses the current knowledge of SFB and their suggested effects on the small intestine immune system. Referencing the published genomes of rat and mouse SFB, the use of food substrates to modulate SFB abundance is proposed while considering their effects on other microbes. Changes in the immune response caused by the interaction of food substrate with SFB may provide insight into their role in infant immunological barrier maturation.
RESUMO
Segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) are thought to play a role in small intestine immunological maturation. Studies in weanling mice have shown a positive correlation between ileal SFB abundance and plasma and faecal interleukin 17 (IL-17) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentrations. Although the first observation of SFB presence was reported in rats, most studies use mice. The size of the mouse ileum is a limitation whereas the rat could be a suitable alternative for sufficient samples. Changes in SFB abundance over time in rats were hypothesized to follow the pattern reported in mice and infants. We characterized the profile of SFB colonization in the ileum tissue and contents and its correlation with two immune markers of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) maturation. We also compared two published ileum collection techniques to determine which yields data on SFB abundance with least variability. Whole ileal tissue and ileal mucosal scrapings were collected from 20- to 32-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats. SFB abundance was quantified from proximal, middle and distal ileal tissues, contents and faeces by quantitative PCR using SFB-specific primers. Antibody-specific ELISAs were used to determine IL-17 and IgA concentrations. Significant differences in SFB abundance were observed from whole and scraped tissues peaking at day 22. Variability in whole ileum data was less, favouring it as a better collection technique. A similar pattern of SFB abundance was observed in ileum contents and faeces peaking at day 24, suggesting faeces can be a proxy for ileal SFB abundance. SFB abundance at day 26 was higher in females than males across all samples. There were significant differences in IgA concentration between days 20, 30 and 32 and none in IL-17 concentration, which was different from reports in mice and infants.
