Kazen Alexis, Grobe Justin L, Kirby John R
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
J Exp Biol. 2025 Jul 15;228(14). doi: 10.1242/jeb.249791. Epub 2025 Jul 11.
The role of the gut microbiota in influencing physiological processes has become increasingly evident over the past several decades. One such process, thermogenesis, has become a topic of interest in recent years owing to the threat of climate change as well as the ongoing obesity epidemic. Here, we offer an overview of current knowledge regarding the contributions of the gut microbiota to thermogenesis in ecological and biomedical contexts. We first describe how the metabolic and behavioral changes associated with the gut microbiota can lead to changes in energy balance, allowing animals to adapt to environmental stressors. We then discuss how changes in the gut microbial community composition, such as through antibiotic use, can lead to dysfunctional thermoregulation and, ultimately, disease states. Finally, we consider how microbes can be exploited to improve energy balance and propose some future directions worthy of additional study.
在过去几十年里，肠道微生物群在影响生理过程中的作用日益明显。其中一个过程，即产热，由于气候变化的威胁以及持续的肥胖流行，近年来已成为一个备受关注的话题。在此，我们概述了当前关于肠道微生物群在生态和生物医学背景下对产热贡献的知识。我们首先描述与肠道微生物群相关的代谢和行为变化如何导致能量平衡的改变，使动物能够适应环境应激源。然后，我们讨论肠道微生物群落组成的变化，如通过使用抗生素，如何导致体温调节功能失调，并最终导致疾病状态。最后，我们考虑如何利用微生物来改善能量平衡，并提出一些值得进一步研究的未来方向。
