While many studies have focused on the state gut microbiota after the development of certain diseases such as Type 2 diabetes Where obesityvery few studies have looked at the link between a possible intestinal imbalance when introducing a diet that is too high in fat.
This is why a team of researchers led by the Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis Unit of the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm/Institut Pasteur) pondered the question. “We wanted to see, early on, how gut bacteria behaved on a high-fat diet. And quickly, we focused our research on the small intestine because that’s where we saw the most obvious variations. “ emphasizes Thierry Pedron, one of the researchers at Inserm/Institut Pasteur.
A study conducted on the microbiota of mice
Some mice in the study therefore received an ordinary diet while others received a diet composed of 70% lipids. The researchers then followed the evolution of the different bacterial species over time and precisely identified the bacteria within the small intestine.
“Just one month after starting this new high-fat diet, we saw changes in the composition of the microbiota” explains Thierry Pedron. Certain bacterial species proliferated while others decreased, the species Candidatus arthromitus having even completely disappeared.
“Furthermore, and in a completely new way, we observed a massive concentration of bacteria between the villi of the intestinal epithelium. Additional measurements also made it possible to highlight an increase in the permeability of the small intestine”.
In other words, not only does the microbiota reorganize under the influence of lipids, but the intestine itself undergoes metamorphoses. But when the mice returned to a balanced diet, everything was back to normal after a month.
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