Macrogenomics-based study of the mechanism of GeGen QinLian Decoction in ameliorating dysbiosis in a rat model of antibiotic-associated diarrhea
Objective To investigate changes in the intestinal flora and function in rats with antibiotic-associated diarrhea(A AD)treated with GeGen QinLian Decoction(GQD).Methods Sixty male or female SPF-grade SD rats were fed for 7 days and then divided randomly into Control(Con)and modeling groups(1∶5 ratio).Rats in the modeling group received clindamycin 250 mg/kg by gavage once a day for 7 consecutive days.After successful modeling,the rats were divided randomly into model(Mod),high-dose GQD(GQD-H,10.08 g/kg),medium-dose GQD(GQD-M,5.04 g/kg),low-dose GQD(GQD-L,2.52 g/kg),and live Bifidobacterium power(LBP,0.15 g/kg)groups(n=10 rats per group).GQD and LBP were administered by gavage,and the Con and Mod groups were given an equal volume of saline by gavage once a day.Feces were collected after 7 consecutive days of administration for macrogenomics sequencing analysis.Results α diversity and β diversity suggested that intestinal microbial diversity differed between the Mod and GQD-treated groups.GQD increased the abundance of thick-walled bacteria and decreased the abundance of Aspergillus at the phylum level,and increased the relative abundances of the intestinal mucus bacteria Blautia,Bacteroides,Thomasclavelia,and Mediterraneibacter,and decreased the relative abundances of Adlercreutzia,Muribaculum,and Escherichia at the genus level.GQD also up-regulated the amino acid,carbohydrate,and immune disease pathways.Conclusions GQD improves the abundance ratio of beneficial and pathogenic intestinal bacteria in rats with antibiotic-associated diarrhea,which in turn reduces the intestinal inflammatory response and repairs the intestinal immune system.
GeGen QinLian Decoctionantibiotic-associated diarrheametagenomicsintestinal flora