Gastro-intestinal and oral microbiome signatures associated with healthy aging

Abstract

The human oral and gut microbiomes influence health via competition for a distinct niche in the body with pathogens, via metabolic capabilities that increase host digestive capacity and generate compounds engaged in signaling pathways and modulation of immune system functions. Old age alters our metabolic and regenerative capacity. Following recruitment of 65 human subjects in the age range of 70 to 82, we discerned healthy aging (HA) and non-healthy aging (NHA) cohorts discordant in the occurrence of one or more major diseases: (1) cancer, (2) acute or chronic cardiovascular diseases, (3) acute or chronic pulmonary diseases, (4) diabetes, and (5) stroke or neurodegenerative disorders. We analyzed these cohorts' oral microbiomes (saliva) and gut microbiomes (stool) to assess diversity and identify microbial biomarkers for HA. In contrast to the gut microbiome where no change was observed, we found that the saliva microbiome had higher α-diversity in the HA compared with the NHA group. We observed the genus Akkermansia to be significantly more abundant in the gut microbiota of the HA group. Akkermansia muciniphila is a colonic mucin-degrading bacterium believed to have beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health, particularly in the context of diabetes and obesity. Erysipelotrichaceae UCG-003 was a taxon increased in abundance in the HA cohort. Streptococcus was the only genus observed to be significantly decreased in abundance in both the gut and oral microbiomes of the HA cohort compared with the NHA cohort. Our data support the notion that these microbes are potential probiotics to decrease the risks of non-healthy aging.

Probiotic Bifidobacterium breve prevents DOCA‐salt hypertension

“…Recent studies show that aging alters the gastrointestinal microbiome in both human and animals. 63,64 Probiotic treatments may have an even more pronounced effect on hypertension and deleterious consequences of hypertension in older individuals, such as the progressive decline in the volume of memory-associated brain areas with age. 65 However, caution is advised when extrapolating these findings to humans because of the possible differences in the behavior of the animal and human gut microbiota.…”

The Interaction between Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress and Gut Microbiota in the Cardiometabolic Consequences in Diet-Induced Obese Rats

“…No information regarding the potential role in fibrosis has been reported about the genera negatively associated with cardiac fibrosis in our study. However, they are more abundant in healthy subjects than in subjects with different pathological conditions [ 42 , 43 ].…”

“…Several mechanisms could account for the beneficial effects induced by the mitochondrial anti-oxidant. The impact of this microbiota profile on the gut’s mucosal integrity and the translocation of microbial cell wall components, like LPS from Gram-negative bacteria and other toxic metabolites, could be the potential mechanisms involved in the impact of the gut dysbiosis in the cardiometabolic consequences in the context of obesity [ 19 , 40 , 42 , 43 , 44 ]. Dysbiosis can affect the integrity of the gut barrier, due to abnormal or reduced numbers of mucous cell production, resulting in diminished mucus production and both enhanced permeability and transit of antigens [ 45 ].…”

Gerobiotics: probiotics targeting fundamental aging processes

“…A growing body of evidence has revealed that the aging process is also tightly linked to the homeostasis of the intestinal microbiome [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]. Over a century ago, Élie Metchnikoff proposed that the onset of the aging process could be delayed by manipulating the intestinal environment with friendly bacteria [ 44 ].…”