Gut microbiome and plasma metabolome changes in rats after oral gavage of nanoparticles: sensitive indicators of possible adverse health effects
Creators: name: Landsiedel, Robert
name: Hahn, Daniela
name: Ossig, Rainer
name: Ritz, Sabrina
name: Sauer, Lydia
name: Buesen, Roland
name: Rehm, Sascha
name: Wohlleben, Wendel
name: Groeters, Sibylle
name: Strauss, Volker
name: Sperber, Saskia
name: Wami, Haleluya
name: Dobrindt, Ulrich
name: Prior, Karola
name: Harmsen, Dag
name: Van Ravenzwaay, Bennard
name: Schnekenburger, Juergen
Publisher: name: Freie Universität Berlin
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Nanomaterial
subject: Metabolomics
subject: Gut microbiota
subject: Intestinal microbiome
subject: Oral nanoparticle administration
subject: Silver nanoparticles
subject: SiO2 nanoparticles
subject: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie

description: Background The oral uptake of nanoparticles is an important route of human exposure and requires solid models for hazard assessment. While the systemic availability is generally low, ingestion may not only affect gastrointestinal tissues but also intestinal microbes. The gut microbiota contributes essentially to human health, whereas gut microbial dysbiosis is known to promote several intestinal and extra-intestinal diseases. Gut microbiota-derived metabolites, which are found in the blood stream, serve as key molecular mediators of host metabolism and immunity. Results Gut microbiota and the plasma metabolome were analyzed in male Wistar rats receiving either SiO2 (1000 mg/kg body weight/day) or Ag nanoparticles (100 mg/kg body weight/day) during a 28-day oral gavage study. Comprehensive clinical, histopathological and hematological examinations showed no signs of nanoparticle-induced toxicity. In contrast, the gut microbiota was affected by both nanoparticles, with significant alterations at all analyzed taxonomical levels. Treatments with each of the nanoparticles led to an increased abundance of Prevotellaceae, a family with gut species known to be correlated with intestinal inflammation. Only in Ag nanoparticle-exposed animals, Akkermansia, a genus known for its protective impact on the intestinal barrier was depleted to hardly detectable levels. In SiO2 nanoparticles-treated animals, several genera were significantly reduced, including probiotics such as Enterococcus. From the analysis of 231 plasma metabolites, we found 18 metabolites to be significantly altered in Ag-or SiO2 nanoparticles-treated rats. For most of these metabolites, an association with gut microbiota has been reported previously. Strikingly, both nanoparticle-treatments led to a significant reduction of gut microbiota-derived indole-3-acetic acid in plasma. This ligand of the arylhydrocarbon receptor is critical for regulating immunity, stem cell maintenance, cellular differentiation and xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. Conclusions The combined profiling of intestinal microbiome and plasma metabolome may serve as an early and sensitive indicator of gut microbiome changes induced by orally administered nanoparticles; this will help to recognize potential adverse effects of these changes to the host.