Development of an infant colon simulating in vitro model, I-TIM-2, to study the effects of modulation strategies on the infant gut microbiome composition and function.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: ASM Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101634614 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2165-0497 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 21650497 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Microbiol Spectr Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: Washington, DC : ASM Press, 2013-
    • Subject Terms:
    • Abstract:
      The early life stages are critical for the development of the gut microbiome. Variables such as antibiotics exposure, birth-mode via Cesarean section, and formula feeding are associated with disruptions in microbiome development and are related to adverse health effects later in life. Studying the effects of microbiome-modulating strategies in infants is challenged by appropriate ethical constraints. Therefore, we developed I-TIM-2, an infant in vitro colonic model based on the validated, computer-controlled, dynamic model of the colon, TIM-2. The system, consisting of four separate compartments, was inoculated with feces from four healthy, primarily breastfed infants, displaying distinctive microbiome profiles. For each infant's fecal sample, a 96-h experiment was performed, with two compartments receiving an infant diet adapted medium and two compartments additionally receiving five human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in physiological concentrations and proportions. Bacterial composition was determined by shotgun metagenomics and qPCR. Concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and HMOs were determined by LC-MS. Microbial diversity and high amounts of inoculum-derived species were preserved in the model throughout each experiment. Microbiome composition and SCFA concentrations were consistent with published data from infants. HMOs strongly modulated the microbiome composition by stimulating relative proportions of Bifidobacterium . This affected the metabolic output and resulted in an increased production of acetic and formic acid, characteristic of bifidobacterial HMO metabolism. In conclusion, these data demonstrate the development of a valid model to study the dynamics and modulations of the infant gut microbiome and metabolome.IMPORTANCEThe infant gut microbiome is intricately linked to the health of its host. This is partly mediated through the bacterial production of metabolites that interact with the host cells. Human milk shapes the establishment of the infant gut microbiome as it contains human milk sugars that select for primarily bifidobacteria. The establishment can be disrupted by modern interventions such as formula feeding. This can alter the microbiome composition and metabolite production profile, which can affect the host. In this article, we set up an infant in vitro colonic model to study microbiome interactions and functions. In this model, we investigated the effects of human milk sugars and their promotion of bifidobacteria at the expense of other bacteria. The model is an ideal system to assess the effects of various modulating strategies on the infant gut microbiome and its interactions with its host.
      Competing Interests: O.C., G.D.A.H., A.B., and A.W. are employees of Novonesis. A.W. was employed at Chr. Hansen (now Novonesis). They were involved in the design and conduction of the study, analyses, and interpretation of the data, and drafting and reviewing of the manuscript.
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: colonic model; infant; metabolome; microbiome
    • Accession Number:
      0 (Fatty Acids, Volatile)
      0 (Oligosaccharides)
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20241008 Date Completed: 20241107 Latest Revision: 20241107
    • Publication Date:
      20241112
    • Accession Number:
      PMC11537066
    • Accession Number:
      10.1128/spectrum.00724-24
    • Accession Number:
      39377603