It is well-known that different populations and animals, even experimental animals with the same rearing conditions, differ in their susceptibility to obesity. The disparity in gut microbiota could potentially account for the variation in susceptibility to obesity. However, the precise impact of gut microbiota on gut metabolites and its subsequent influence on susceptibility to obesity remains uncertain.
In this study, we established obesity-prone (OP) and obesity-resistant (OR) mouse models by High Fat Diet (HFD). Fecal contents of cecum were examined using 16S rDNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. Correlation analysis and MIMOSA2 analysis were used to explore the association between gut microbiota and intestinal metabolites.
After a HFD, gut microbiota and gut metabolic profiles were significantly different between OP and OR mice. Gut microbiota after a HFD may lead to changes in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a variety of branched fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs) and a variety of phospholipids to promote obesity. The bacteria