Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, 45550, Pakistan; Water & Environment Research Group, University of Glasgow, Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre, Glasgow G11 6EW, UK.
School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow G31 2ER, UK.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2024 Oct 1;284:116959. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116959. Epub 2024 Sep 3.
Endemic fluorosis refers to the condition when individuals are exposed to excessive amounts of fluoride ion due to living in a region characterized by elevated levels of fluorine in the drinking water, food, and/or air. In Pakistan, a substantial proportion of the population is thereby affected, posing a public health concern.
Assessing how the gut microbiota and its metabolic profiles are impacted by chronic exposure to fluoride in drinking water (that caused Dental Fluorosis) as well as to perceive how this microbiota is connected to adverse health outcomes prevailing with fluoride exposure.
Drinking water (n=27) and biological samples (n=100) of blood, urine and feces were collected from 70 high fluoride exposed (with Dental Fluorosis) and 30 healthy control (without Dental Fluorosis) subjects. Water and urinary fluoride concentrations were determined. Serum/plasma biochemical testing was performed. Fecal DNA extraction, 16S rRNA analysis of microbial taxa, their predicted metabolic function and fecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) quantification were carried out.
The study revealed that microbiota taxonomic shifts and their metabolic characterization had been linked to certain host clinical parameters under the chronic fluoride exposure. Some sets of genera showed strong specificity to water and urine fluoride concentrations, Relative Fat Mass index and SCFAs. The SCFAs response in fluoride-exposed samples was observed to be correlated with bacterial taxa that could contribute to adverse health effects.
Microbial dysbiosis as a result of endemic fluorosis exhibits a structure that is associated with risk of metabolic deregulation and is implicated in various diseases. Our results may form the development of novel interventions and may have utility in diagnosis and monitoring.
地方性氟中毒是指个体因生活在饮用水、食物和/或空气中氟含量升高的地区而暴露于过量氟离子的情况。在巴基斯坦，相当一部分人口受到影响，这是一个公共卫生关注点。
评估饮用水中慢性氟暴露（导致氟斑牙）对肠道微生物群及其代谢特征的影响，以及感知这种微生物群与氟暴露相关的不良健康结果之间的关系。
从 70 名高氟暴露（有氟斑牙）和 30 名健康对照（无氟斑牙）受试者中收集饮用水（n=27）和生物样本（n=100），包括血液、尿液和粪便。测定水和尿氟浓度。进行血清/血浆生化检测。提取粪便 DNA，分析微生物类群的 16S rRNA，预测其代谢功能和粪便短链脂肪酸（SCFAs）定量。
研究表明，在慢性氟暴露下，微生物分类群的变化及其代谢特征与某些宿主临床参数有关。一些属集对水和尿氟浓度、相对脂肪质量指数和 SCFAs 具有很强的特异性。在氟暴露样本中观察到 SCFAs 反应与可能导致不良健康影响的细菌类群相关。
地方性氟中毒引起的微生物失调表现出与代谢失调风险相关的结构，并与各种疾病有关。我们的结果可能为新的干预措施的发展提供依据，并可能在诊断和监测中具有实用价值。
