Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland.
Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland.
Br J Nutr. 2014 Feb;111(3):387-402. doi: 10.1017/S0007114513002560. Epub 2013 Aug 12.
The human intestine is colonised by 10¹³ to 10¹⁴ micro-organisms, the vast majority of which belong to the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. Although highly stable over time, the composition and activities of the microbiota may be influenced by a number of factors including age, diet and antibiotic treatment. Although perturbations in the composition or functions of the microbiota are linked to inflammatory and metabolic disorders (e.g. inflammatory bowel diseases, irritable bowel syndrome and obesity), it is unclear at this point whether these changes are a symptom of the disease or a contributing factor. A better knowledge of the mechanisms through which changes in microbiota composition (dysbiosis) promote disease states is needed to improve our understanding of the causal relationship between the gut microbiota and disease. While evidence of the preventive and therapeutic effects of probiotic strains on diarrhoeal illness and other intestinal conditions is promising, the exact mechanisms of the beneficial effects are not fully understood. Recent studies have raised the question of whether non-viable probiotic strains can confer health benefits on the host by influencing the immune system. As the potential health effect of these non-viable bacteria depends on whether the mechanism of this effect is dependent on viability, future research needs to consider each probiotic strain on a case-by-case basis. The present review provides a comprehensive, updated overview of the human gut microbiota, the factors influencing its composition and the role of probiotics as a therapeutic modality in the treatment and prevention of diseases and/or restoration of human health.
人类肠道中定植着 10¹³ 到 10¹⁴ 种微生物，其中绝大多数属于厚壁菌门和拟杆菌门。尽管肠道微生物组在很长一段时间内都非常稳定，但它的组成和活性可能会受到多种因素的影响，包括年龄、饮食和抗生素治疗。虽然微生物组的组成或功能的紊乱与炎症和代谢紊乱（例如炎症性肠病、肠易激综合征和肥胖症）有关，但目前尚不清楚这些变化是疾病的症状还是致病因素。更好地了解微生物组组成变化（失调）如何促进疾病状态的机制，有助于我们理解肠道微生物组与疾病之间的因果关系。虽然益生菌菌株对腹泻病和其他肠道疾病的预防和治疗效果的证据很有前景，但益生菌菌株发挥有益作用的确切机制尚不完全清楚。最近的研究提出了一个问题，即是否非活性益生菌菌株可以通过影响免疫系统为宿主带来健康益处。由于这些非活性细菌的潜在健康效应取决于这种效应的机制是否依赖于其活性，因此未来的研究需要根据具体情况逐个考虑每种益生菌菌株。本综述提供了关于人类肠道微生物组的全面、最新概述，包括影响其组成的因素以及益生菌作为一种治疗方式在治疗和预防疾病和/或恢复人类健康方面的作用。
