Methane and Hydrogen Positivity on Breath Test Is Associated With Greater Body Mass Index and Body Fat

Mathur, Ruchi; Amichai, Meridythe M.; Chua, Kathleen Shari; Mirocha, James; Barlow, Gillian; Pimentel, Mark

doi:10.1210/jc.2012-3144

Cited by 103 publications

(92 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Host absorption of SCFAs produced in this manner can provide up to 10% of daily caloric intake, depending on dietary content [33]. In two human studies, our group has shown that the presence of both methane and hydrogen on breath test is associated with greater body mass index (BMI) [30,31] and percent body fat [31], supporting the hypothesis that increased intestinal colonization with methanogens can contribute to increased caloric uptake and weight gain in the host. Another recent study suggested a role for differences in intestinal methane production in altered glycemic control in diabetic subjects [34], further supporting our finding of altered glucose levels in methane-producing individuals, and methane producers have also been shown to have higher fasting serum cholesterol concentrations when compared to age-, sex-, and BMI-matched non-methane producers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…Methanogens have been shown to facilitate increased fermentation of dietary polysaccharides by other microbes, resulting in increased short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production and enhanced availability of calories to the host [27][28][29]. In two separate human studies, our group has now shown that the presence of both methane and hydrogen on breath test is associated with greater body mass index (BMI) [30,31] and percent body fat [31]. To further characterize the effects of methanogenic colonization on metabolic parameters, we examined whether elevated breath methane is associated with changes in glucose tolerance in humans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Methane-producing human subjects have higher serum glucose levels during oral glucose challenge than non-methane producers: a pilot study of the effects of enteric methanogens on glycemic regulation

Mathur¹,

Goyal²,

Kim³

et al. 2014

Res J Endocrinol Metab

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Background: Recent studies support that intestinal microbes contribute to human disease, and enteric methanogens have been specifically linked to altered gut metabolism and weight gain. In this study, we tested whether methane on breath test (as a surrogate for colonization with the predominant methanogen Methanobrevibacter smithii) is associated with altered glucose tolerance in humans. Methods: Consecutive methane producing (methane ≥3ppm, N=5) and non-methane producing (methane <3ppm, N=15) subjects undergoing lactulose breath test at our center were recruited and subjected to a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Results: The average age of methane-producing subjects was 48.8±10.0 vs. 37.7±12.1 for non-methane subjects (P=0.17). Methane and non-methane subjects also had comparable mean body mass index (BMI) (23.9±0.2 vs. 25.0±8.0 kg/m2; P=0.53) and baseline insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (1.32±0.72 vs. 2.21±1.52; P=0.23). During 180 minutes post-glucose load, methane producers had greater serum glucose area-under-the-curve (AUC) (774.2±140.3 mg/dL) than non-methane subjects (585.5±128.3 mg/dL) (P=0.03), but similar insulin AUC (217.76±122.08 μU/mL vs. 215.37±75.02 μU/mL, respectively). Conclusions: Individuals with methane on breath test (reflecting higher colonization with enteric methanogens, predominantly M. smithii) may have impaired glucose tolerance when challenged with a high carbohydrate load, and may also have a higher susceptibility to hyperglycemia which appears to be independent of basal insulin resistance and BMI.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methane-producing human subjects have higher serum glucose levels during oral glucose challenge than non-methane producers: a pilot study of the effects of enteric methanogens on glycemic regulation

Mathur¹,

Goyal²,

Kim³

et al. 2014

Res J Endocrinol Metab

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“…3 Methane production by archaea (methanogens) such as Methanobrevibacter smithii, may be implicated in mechanisms of energy homeostasis, as methane is associated with weight gain and more efficient intestinal energy extraction, as well as impaired glucose intolerance. [3][4][5][6][7] Previous studies have shown a link between intestinal methane production, compromised glycaemic control and obesity. [3][4][5][6][7] Intestinal methane production has also been linked to changes in gastrointestinal (GI) motility, especially in the constipation phenotype of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breath methane concentrations and markers of obesity in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders

Wilder‐Smith¹,

Olesen

Materna³

et al. 2018

UEG Journal

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Background: Obesity is associated with changes in the intestinal microbiome and methane-producing archaea may be involved in energy homeostasis. Objective: The objective of this article is to investigate the associations between intestinal methane production, waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) as biomarkers for obesity. Methods: Breath methane and hydrogen concentrations were measured over five hours following fructose or lactose ingestion in 1647 patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders. The relationships between gas concentrations and measures of obesity were investigated by stratifying gas concentration-time profiles by BMI and waist circumference, and, conversely, BMI and waist circumference by peak breath hydrogen and methane concentrations. Results: Following fructose ingestion, patients with lower BMI and lesser waist circumference had greater breath methane concentrations (all p < 0.003). Conversely, patients with increased methane concentrations had lower BMI (p < 0.001) and waist circumference (p ¼ 0.02). After lactose ingestion, BMI and waist circumference were not associated with significant differences in methane. However, greater methane concentrations were associated with a lower BMI (p < 0.002), but not with waist circumference. Conclusion: In this large group of patients mainly negative associations between breath methane concentrations and anthropometric biomarkers of obesity were evident. Studies investigating microbial methane production and energy homoeostasis in different populations are of substantial interest to distinguish epiphenomena from true causality. A follow-up study was registered at Clinical trials.gov NCT02085889.

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“…Recently, IHT driving methane formation has been proposed as a mechanism positively affecting calorie release in the large bowel, and a possible contributing factor to adiposity (Samuel et al, 2007, Mathur et al, 2013. Certainly there is evidence to suggest that this is not true for all races, there is an increased incidence of breathe methane in African rural and urban black populations in comparison to European Americans (Nava et al, 2012 (Haines et al, 1977, Bond et al, 1971.…”

Section: Interactions Between Methanogenic Archaea and The Human Hostmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional and comparative studies of members of the genus Methanosphaera, and their adaptations to the gut environment

Hoedt¹

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The methanogenic archaea are responsible for maintaining an efficient scheme of fermentation in many environments and habitats, including the gastrointestinal tracts of animals and humans. The principal members of gut methanogenic communities are members of the Methanobrevibacter genus, with lesser numbers of Methanosphaera and Methanomassiliicoccus spp. Much of our understanding of gut methanogens has been produced using axenic cultures and genomic data for ~30 Methanobrevibacter spp. but the functional relevance of these other archaeal lineages to digestive function remains poorly understood. With this background, the goals of my PhD research are: i) to increase the biotic representation of the Methanosphaera genus through the recovery of axenic isolates from different environments; ii) characterise the metabolic properties of these isolates in terms of their methanogenic pathways and; iii) expand our functional understanding of this genus via reconstruction of "population genomes" from existing metagenomic datasets and comparative Mbp), synteny, and G:C content. However, the WGK6 genome was found to encode contiguous genes encoding putative alcohol-and aldehyde-dehydrogenases, which are absent from the Msp. stadtmanae genome. These two genes provide a plausible explanation for the ability of WGK6 to utilize ethanol for methanol reduction to methane. Furthermore, my in vitro studies suggest that ethanol supports a greater cell yield per mol of methane formed compared to hydrogen-dependent growth. Taken together, this expansion in metabolic versatility can explain the persistence of these archaea in the kangaroo foregut, and their abundance in these "low methane emitting" herbivores.Chapter Three describes the isolation of a hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic archaeon assigned to the Methanosphaera genus from bovine animals in northern Australia (strain BMS). The BMS genome was sequenced to closure and surprisingly, found to be substantially larger (2.9 Mbp) than the WGK6 and Msp. stadtmanae genomes (~1.8 Mbp). I then interrogated metagenomic datasets produced from human stool and ruminant digesta samples, to recover 7 "population genomes" assigned to the Methanosphaera genus, with 5 of these genomes also predicted to be large (> 2.1 Mbp). The Methanosphaera pan-genome consists of 5321 genes and 305 of these were assigned to the core-genome, which principally consists of the genes coordinating methanogenesis, anaerobic metabolism, and related functions. The whole genome phylogeny analysis of all genomes suggests a monophyletic origin for the genus Methanosphaera, with those isolates possessing smaller genomes being the most recently evolved lineages.Chapter Four investigates whether and how the composition of the methanogenic archaea in patients with chronic kidney disease is altered in response to synbiotic administration, as an intervention designed to mitigate uremic toxin production. The synbiotic intervention was found to have no measurable impact on the methanogen profiles of the patients, withMeth...

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Methane and Hydrogen Positivity on Breath Test Is Associated With Greater Body Mass Index and Body Fat

Cited by 103 publications

References 17 publications

Methane-producing human subjects have higher serum glucose levels during oral glucose challenge than non-methane producers: a pilot study of the effects of enteric methanogens on glycemic regulation

Methane-producing human subjects have higher serum glucose levels during oral glucose challenge than non-methane producers: a pilot study of the effects of enteric methanogens on glycemic regulation

Breath methane concentrations and markers of obesity in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders

Functional and comparative studies of members of the genus Methanosphaera, and their adaptations to the gut environment

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