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Study intestinal bacteria can help against obesity
When the composition of the intestinal bacteria changes in mice due to the influence of cold, this obviously leads to the animals losing weight. Scientists from the University of Geneva have come to this interesting conclusion. As the researchers write in the journal "Cell", the findings could possibly help to develop new therapies for obesity and obesity.
Geneva researchers show effects of cold in mouse experiments
Can intestinal bacteria help with weight loss? What sounds funny at first could actually be possible, according to a study by the University of Geneva. Because the researchers led by Mirko Trajkovski found out by an experiment with mice that the composition of these bacteria is responsible for the fact that the animals burned more fat in the cold and subsequently lost weight. As the University of Geneva reports, the scientists had exposed the mice to a temperature of only six degrees Celsius and then examined the physical effects. It was found that at cold temperatures other bacterial species stood in the foreground than at normal room temperature and some gut germs such. the so-called "Akkermansia muciniphila" were even scarce.
Altered compositions of the intestinal flora have an influence on the development of body weight. (Image: Alex / fotolia.com) Transplanted bacteria lead to cold resistance
In the next step, the researchers transferred the "cold bacteria" to mice that had been bred in a completely sterile environment and therefore had no own intestinal flora. The germ-free mice were then resistant to cold, their body temperature did not drop, as if the transplanted bacteria also changed this adjustment mechanism, the researchers said in the message from the university. In addition, the transplanted mice exhibited a generally better metabolic profile with greater sensitivity to insulin and increased beige adipose tissue. This develops from white fat when cold, but burns like brown fat cells calories to generate heat. "This proves that the intestinal bacteria directly adjust the energy balance as an adaptation to changing environmental conditions," Trajkovski told the news agency "dpa".
The researchers also recognized that the bacteria even changed the shape of the intestine during prolonged cold. "We were astonished to find that the changes in the microflora during cold weather actually favored enlargement of the gut and longer microvilli," the researchers said in the announcement from the university. The so-called "microvilli" are small, usually unbranched protuberances in the cell walls, which enlarge the surface of the intestine and accordingly increase the nutrient uptake from the ingested food. This could explain why the mice lost weight only up to a certain point.
Changes in the intestinal shape are dependent on the bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila
The changes in the intestinal shape could also be found after transplantation of the intestinal bacteria in other animals - but only if no Akkermansia muciniphila bacteria were present. However, when the mice were given the bacteria in the cold environment, they continued to lose weight. In the next step, therefore, according to the Communication of the University of Geneva, the Akkermansia muciniphila must now be examined more closely.
If it proves to be a legitimate anti-obesity strategy, it could open a door to completely new treatment options, the report said. Thus, the discovery of the researchers would even go beyond the potential as an anti-obesity treatment: "The intestine is also our largest endocrine tissue, which secretes many hormones, which in turn are active in different areas of our body. The change in intestinal morphology could be one of the ways in which microbiota could affect all other organs, including our brain, "says Professor Trajkovski. (No)