Research group "Intestinal barrier and SCFA"

Group leader

Dr. Stephan C. Bischoff, M.D., Professor of Medicine

Team

Louisa Filipe Rosa (PhD student)
Benjamin Seethaler (PhD student)
Julia Zimmermann (PhD student)
Andreas Rings (Technical support)

Gut Barrier

Deteriorations of the intestinal barrier function are increasingly associated with systemic diseases such as cardiometabolic diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver cirrhosis.
The gut barrier can be influenced by many factors, whereby certain food components have modulatory effects. While the consumption of a high sugar and high fat diet is associated with a disturbed gut barrier, the intake of prebiotics, fibers and SCFAs is associated with an improvement of the intestinal integrity, the antimicrobial peptide defense and the intestinal microbiota. A disturbed intestinal integrity can result in an increased translocation of bacteria and bacterial components into the portal vein system, promoting the development and progression of metabolic diseases.

Figure 1: Dietary-induced effects on the intestinal barrier function (A) A diet rich in sugar, fructose and fat can disturb the intestinal barrier function and integrity, resulting in an increased translocation of bacteria into the portal vein system and increased risk of metabolic diseases; (B) The intake of the prebiotics, SCFAs and fibers ameliorates the gut barrier and antimicrobial host defense.

Molecular effects of nutritional factors on the integrity and function of the intestinal barrier (Louisa Filipe Rosa)

The organoid cell culture is used to investigate the effects and possible molecular mechanisms of nutrients on the intestinal barrier. Crypts from the small intestine of C57BL/6J mice will be isolated, purified and cultured in Matrigel and medium. The resulting organoids will be challenged with sugars, vitamins, fatty acids, prebiotics and probiotics.

Figure 2: Organoid cells from the small intestine of C57BL/6J mouse. (A) One week after cultivation (40x); (B) After three weeks of cultivation (40x)

Effect of dietary fibers on (gut) health in a joint initiative comprising several existing cohorts as well as new intervention trials (FiberTAG.eu, Benjamin Seethaler)

Effects of different bread types on the intestinal barrier and inflammatory reactions in a mouse model for CED (Julia Zimmermann)

It is assumed that the innate immune system is involved in the development of NCWS in the form of inflammatory processes. Whether different bread making processes (sourdough, yeast dough from wheat, spelt, rye) influence inflammatory processes or the intestinal barrier in a mouse model of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Caspase-8ΔIEC) will be investigated in this project. For this purpose, the animals will be fed different diets, each consisting of 50 % bread, with a cereal-free diet serving as a control.

Funding

IGF Projekt: AiF 20763 N (Julia Zimmermann)
BMBF / DLR (FiberTAG, Benjamin Seethaler)

Projects

Influence and molecular mechanisms of nutritional factors, vitamins and fatty acids, on intestinal barrier function
Effects of prebiotic supplements on intestinal barrier function in diet induced obesity
Functional role of antimicrobial peptides and defensins
Effects of different bread types on the intestinal barrier and inflammatory reactions in a mouse model for CED
Validation of easy-to-measure biomarkers for intestinal permeability in human trials
Effects of a Mediterranean diet on intestinal permeability, intestinal microbiome composition and function, as well as on the blood metabolome
Effects of a very low calory diet in morbid obese participants of a weight loss program on intestinal permeability, intestinal
microbiome composition and function, as well as on the blood metabolome