Health & Medicine
New Study Reveals Bacteria Could Prevent Obesity and Weight Gain
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jul 23, 2014 08:15 AM EDT
There may be a new way to treat obesity: bacteria. Scientists have used therapeutic bacteria in mice and have found that it can inhibit weight gain, insulin resistance and other adverse effects of a high-fat diet.
Probiotic bacteria, such as those found in yogurt, are known to help with a person's health. Other studies have also demonstrated that the natural gut microbiota plays a role in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. So what if bacteria could be used to help influence the gut microbiota and thus help decrease obesity rates?
"The types of bacteria you have in your gut influence your risk for chronic diseases," said Sean Davies, one of the researchers, in a news release. "We wondered if we could manipulate the gut microbiota in a way that would promote health."
In order to see if they could manage this feat, the researchers used E. coli Nissle 1917, which has been used as a probiotic treatment for diarrhea in the past. The scientists genetically modified this strain to produce a lipid compound called NAPE, which is normally synthesized in the small intestine in response to feeding. NAPE is actually rapidly converted to NAE, a compound that reduces both food intake and weight gain.
So what happened? The researchers found that mice that received these bacteria had dramatically lower food intake, body fat, insulin resistance and fatty liver compared to mice receiving control bacteria. In addition, these protective effects persisted for at least four weeks after the bacteria stopped being given to the mice.
"This paper provides a proof of concept," said Davies. "Clearly, we can get enough bacteria to persist in the gut and have a sustained effect. We would like for that effect to last longer."
That said, future studies are needed before this type of treatment could be used in humans. The researchers are still examining its effects on mice and are currently working on strategies to address regulatory issues related to containing the bacteria.
The findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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First Posted: Jul 23, 2014 08:15 AM EDT
There may be a new way to treat obesity: bacteria. Scientists have used therapeutic bacteria in mice and have found that it can inhibit weight gain, insulin resistance and other adverse effects of a high-fat diet.
Probiotic bacteria, such as those found in yogurt, are known to help with a person's health. Other studies have also demonstrated that the natural gut microbiota plays a role in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. So what if bacteria could be used to help influence the gut microbiota and thus help decrease obesity rates?
"The types of bacteria you have in your gut influence your risk for chronic diseases," said Sean Davies, one of the researchers, in a news release. "We wondered if we could manipulate the gut microbiota in a way that would promote health."
In order to see if they could manage this feat, the researchers used E. coli Nissle 1917, which has been used as a probiotic treatment for diarrhea in the past. The scientists genetically modified this strain to produce a lipid compound called NAPE, which is normally synthesized in the small intestine in response to feeding. NAPE is actually rapidly converted to NAE, a compound that reduces both food intake and weight gain.
So what happened? The researchers found that mice that received these bacteria had dramatically lower food intake, body fat, insulin resistance and fatty liver compared to mice receiving control bacteria. In addition, these protective effects persisted for at least four weeks after the bacteria stopped being given to the mice.
"This paper provides a proof of concept," said Davies. "Clearly, we can get enough bacteria to persist in the gut and have a sustained effect. We would like for that effect to last longer."
That said, future studies are needed before this type of treatment could be used in humans. The researchers are still examining its effects on mice and are currently working on strategies to address regulatory issues related to containing the bacteria.
The findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone