Background
The kidney is an important organ for maintaining homeostasis. Kidney-specific senescence plays an important role in aging; however, the mechanism underlying this process is still unclear. We conducted an analysis of renal function impairment in a group of healthy volunteers with a wide range of ages. The aims of this study were to investigate the age profile of kidney-specific aging, the characteristics of symbiotic microorganisms in urine and the aging mechanism related to these microorganisms.
Results
A total of 3342 adults aged 20 to 104 were included in the study. Serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, and glomerular filtration rate were evaluated by blood biochemical analysis to determine a typical age range of 50–65 years for abrupt changes in renal function. Urinary microbiota 16S rDNA sequencing was performed on 74 subjects from a distribution based on quartiles of renal function among cohort members in the age range of 50–65 years. Analysis of the sequencing results revealed significant differences between the flora in males and females, and significant changes in urinary flora with renal aging. Correlation analysis combined with clinical indicators revealed that the dominant microbiota in female subjects in the quartile of poorest renal function was closely associated with altered electrolyte metabolism, inflammatory activation and positive balance of energy metabolism during renal aging. In particular, our analysis suggests that Streptococcus plays an important role.
Conclusions
The age at which early impairment of renal function occurs was confirmed and a multidimensional analysis revealed that changes in urinary commensal bacteria, especially Streptococcus, are closely associated with renal aging.
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