Clinical trial NCT02241421: The Importance of the Gut Microbiota in Body Weight Control and Insulin Sensitivity
Official title: The Effect of the Knock Down of Gut Microbiota by Antibiotics on Parameters of Body Weight Control and Insulin Sensitivity
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Obesity
Insulin Resistance
Keywords: Impaired glucose tolerance
Glucose Metabolism Disorders
Metabolic Diseases
Endocrine System Diseases
Hyperinsulinism
Lipid metabolism
Anti Bacterial Agents
Gastro Intestinal Tract
Lead sponsor: Maastricht University Medical Center
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Top Institute Food and Nutrition
First posted: 2014-09-16
Enrollment: 57
Sex: MALE
Minimum age (years): 35
Maximum age (years): 70
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: BACKGROUND: The relation between gut microbiota and obesity originates from animal studies, showing that the change of gut microbiota can induce changes in both insulin resistance and body composition. In addition, these studies have shown changes in gut permeability inducing a pro-inflammatory state, changes in adipose tissue function and inflammation, effects on energy harvesting and metabolism, skeletal muscle fatty acid partitioning and fat oxidation. Human data is lacking, although several studies suggested that the composition of the gut microbiota differs between lean and obese, and between diabetic and non-diabetic individuals.

OBJECTIVE: To provide insight in the physiological significance and underlying mechanisms involved in the relation between gut microbiota, energy balance and insulin sensitivity in overweight men with impaired glucose homeostasis.

Detailed description: The view on the putative significance of gut microbiota in metabolism emerged from animal studies. Bäcked et al. showed that germ free mice had 40% less body fat compared to conventionally raised mice. Transplantation of a cecum-derived microbial community of conventional mice into germ free mice, resulted in a significant increase of body weight and insulin resistance within 2 weeks. Application of metagenomic techniques in leptin-deficient ob/ob mice showed a different proportion of bacteria belonging when compared to lean, wild-type or heterozygous mice, with a greater representation of Firmicutes and fewer Bacteroidetes. This obese gut microbiome showed an enrichment in genes involved in energy extraction from food, less energy left over in the faeces and higher contents of the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) propionate, acetate and butyrate in the cecum.

Furthermore, microbiota composition may alter gut permeability, and may play a role in the development of metabolic endotoxemia (inflammation) and related impairments in glucose metabolism. In addition, the gut microbiota may determine AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) levels in muscle and liver, thereby affecting fatty acid oxidation (substrate metabolism) and fat storage. However, underlying mechanisms are not completely understood.

Therefore, researchers within the Top Institute Food and Nutrition (TIFN) have designed a multidisciplinary project ('Microbiota, energy balance and metabolism'), to fill the unmet gap between gut microbiota and human energy metabolism. The current protocol is designed to clarify the role of the gut microbiota in host energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity, with the main focus on underlying mechanisms.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* male
* 35-70 years
* caucasian
* overweight/obese (BMI 25-35 kg/m2)
* insulin resistant (Homeostasis Model of Assessment - Insulin Resistance (HOMA_IR) \> 2.2)
* impaired glucose tolerance (IGT: 2h plasma glucose during 75g Oral Glucose Tolerance Test(OGTT) 7.8-11.1 mmol/l) and/or impaired fasting glucose (plasma glucose ≥ 5.6 mmol/l)
* body weight stable for at least three months (±3 kg)

Exclusion Criteria:

* known allergic reaction to vancomycin, teicoplanin, amoxicillin and other β-lactam antibiotics (penicillins and cefalosporins) or related antibiotics
* diabetes mellitus
* hearing disorders
* cardiovascular disease
* kidney disease
* gastrointestinal disease
* cancer
* asthma or bronchitis
* liver malfunction
* major illness with a life expectancy \< 5 years
* diseases affecting glucose tolerance (e.g. pheochromocytoma, Cushing's syndrome, acromegaly), - - use of antibiotics in the past 3 months
* plans to lose weight and participation in organized sports activities for \>3 hours per week
* The use of β-blockers, lipid lowering-drugs, glucose-lowering agents (including all sulfonylureas, biguanides, α-glucosidase inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, repaglinide, nateglinide and insulin), anti-oxidants or chronic corticosteroids treatment (\> 7 consecutive days of treatment)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Insulin sensitivity
timeFrame: up to two weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Fatty Acid Handling in the muscle
timeFrame: up to two weeks
measure: Markers of inflammation
timeFrame: up to two weeks
measure: Energy expenditure
timeFrame: up to two weeks
measure: Microbiota composition and energy content in faecal samples
timeFrame: up to two weeks
measure: Gut wall permeability
timeFrame: up to two weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Maastricht
country: Netherlands
facility: Maastricht University
Study officials:
affiliation: Maastricht University
name: Ellen E Blaak, Prof.Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Reijnders D, Goossens GH, Hermes GDA, Smidt H, Zoetendal EG, Blaak EE. Short-Term Microbiota Manipulation and Forearm Substrate Metabolism in Obese Men: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Obes Facts. 2018;11(4):318-326. doi: 10.1159/000492114. Epub 2018 Aug 9.
citation: Jocken JWE, Reijnders D, Canfora EE, Boekschoten MV, Plat J, Goossens GH, Blaak EE. Effects of gut microbiota manipulation on ex vivo lipolysis in human abdominal subcutaneous adipocytes. Adipocyte. 2018;7(2):106-112. doi: 10.1080/21623945.2018.1464366. Epub 2018 Apr 25.