Department of Gastroenterology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Institution of Basic Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022 Jan 27;12:832672. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.832672. eCollection 2022.
The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is considered the largest immunological organ, with a diverse gut microbiota, that contributes to combatting pathogens and maintaining human health. Under physiological conditions, the crosstalk between gut microbiota and intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) plays a crucial role in GIT homeostasis. Gut microbiota and derived metabolites can compromise gut barrier integrity by activating some signaling pathways in IECs. Conversely, IECs can separate the gut microbiota from the host immune cells to avoid an excessive immune response and regulate the composition of the gut microbiota by providing an alternative energy source and releasing some molecules, such as hormones and mucus. Infections by various pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites, can disturb the diversity of the gut microbiota and influence the structure and metabolism of IECs. However, the interaction between gut microbiota and IECs during infection is still not clear. In this review, we will focus on the existing evidence to elucidate the crosstalk between gut microbiota and IECs during infection and discuss some potential therapeutic methods, including probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and dietary fiber. Understanding the role of crosstalk during infection may help us to establish novel strategies for prevention and treatment in patients with infectious diseases, such as infection, HIV, and COVID-19.
胃肠道（GIT）被认为是最大的免疫器官，拥有多样化的肠道微生物群，有助于对抗病原体并维持人体健康。在生理条件下，肠道微生物群与肠上皮细胞（IECs）之间的相互作用对于 GIT 稳态起着至关重要的作用。肠道微生物群和衍生代谢物可以通过激活 IECs 中的某些信号通路来损害肠道屏障完整性。相反，IECs 可以将肠道微生物群与宿主免疫细胞隔离开来，以避免过度的免疫反应，并通过提供替代能源和释放某些分子（如激素和粘液）来调节肠道微生物群的组成。各种病原体（如细菌、病毒和寄生虫）的感染会破坏肠道微生物群的多样性，并影响 IECs 的结构和代谢。然而，感染期间肠道微生物群和 IECs 之间的相互作用仍不清楚。在这篇综述中，我们将重点关注现有证据，以阐明感染期间肠道微生物群和 IECs 之间的相互作用，并讨论一些潜在的治疗方法，包括益生菌、粪便微生物群移植（FMT）和膳食纤维。了解感染期间相互作用的作用可能有助于我们为感染性疾病（如 COVID-19、HIV 和感染）患者建立预防和治疗的新策略。
