Chen Yuan-Cheng, Greenbaum Jonathan, Shen Hui, Deng Hong-Wen
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, PR China.
Center of Bioinformatics and Genomics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017 Oct 1;102(10):3635-3646. doi: 10.1210/jc.2017-00513.
It has been well established that the human gut microbiome plays a critical role in the regulation of important biological processes and the mechanisms underlying numerous complex diseases. Although researchers have only recently begun to study the relationship between the gut microbiota and bone metabolism, early efforts have provided increased evidence to suggest an important association.
In this study, we attempt to comprehensively summarize the relationship between the gut microbiota and bone metabolism by detailing the regulatory effects of the microbiome on various biological processes, including nutrient absorption and the intestinal mucosal barrier, immune system functionality, the gut-brain axis, and excretion of functional byproducts. In this review, we incorporate evidence from various types of studies, including observational, in vitro and in vivo animal experiments, as well as small efficacy clinic trails.
We review the various potential mechanisms of influence for the gut microbiota on the regulation of bone metabolism and discuss the importance of further examining the potential effects of the gut microbiota on the risk of osteoporosis in humans. Furthermore, we outline some useful tools/approaches for metagenomics research and present some prominent examples of metagenomics association studies in humans.
Current research efforts, although limited, clearly indicate that the gut microbiota may be implicated in bone metabolism, and therefore, further exploration of this relationship is a promising area of focus in bone health and osteoporosis research. Although most existing studies investigate this relationship using animal models, human studies are both needed and on the horizon.
人类肠道微生物群在重要生物学过程的调节以及众多复杂疾病的潜在机制中起着关键作用，这一点已得到充分证实。尽管研究人员直到最近才开始研究肠道微生物群与骨代谢之间的关系，但早期的研究已提供了越来越多的证据表明二者存在重要关联。
在本研究中，我们试图通过详细阐述微生物群对各种生物学过程的调节作用，包括营养吸收、肠道黏膜屏障、免疫系统功能、肠脑轴以及功能性副产物的排泄，来全面总结肠道微生物群与骨代谢之间的关系。在这篇综述中，我们纳入了来自各种类型研究的证据，包括观察性研究、体外和体内动物实验以及小型疗效临床试验。
我们回顾了肠道微生物群对骨代谢调节的各种潜在影响机制，并讨论了进一步研究肠道微生物群对人类骨质疏松风险潜在影响的重要性。此外，我们概述了一些用于宏基因组学研究的有用工具/方法，并列举了一些人类宏基因组学关联研究的突出例子。
目前的研究工作虽然有限，但清楚地表明肠道微生物群可能与骨代谢有关，因此，进一步探索这种关系是骨健康和骨质疏松研究中一个有前景的重点领域。尽管大多数现有研究使用动物模型来研究这种关系，但人类研究既必要又即将开展。
