Gut microbiota from osteoarthritic patients without obesity aggravates osteoarthritis progression in rats by enriching acetic acid.

OBJECTIVE

Although obesity is recognized as a mechanical driver of osteoarthritis (OA), emerging evidence suggests gut microbiota independently contributes to OA pathogenesis. OA develops even in individuals without obesity, yet the distinct mechanistic roles of gut microbiota in OA progression among hosts with and without obesity remain uncharacterized. OA can develop in individuals without obesity, yet the distinct roles of gut microbiota in OA progression among those with and without obesity remain unclear. This study directly compares how gut microbiota differentially modulates OA development in these two populations.

METHODS

Twenty-five SD rats underwent anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT), gut microbiota depletion and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from four types of donors: healthy controls (C), OA patients without obesity (OA), non-OA patients with obesity (OB), and OA patients with obesity (OAB). Five rats in group SAB underwent sham surgery and received FMT from OA patients with obesity. After 8 weeks, joint histopathology, plasma cytokines, fecal Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and microbiota composition were analyzed.

RESULTS

Rats receiving FMT from OA patients without obesity displayed the most severe cartilage degeneration and synovitis, with elevated levels of IL-6/TNF-α and acetic acid. Bacteroides acidifaciens was the dominant microbe in the OA group and correlated with both OA severity and acetic acid levels. In contrast, rats receiving FMT from patients with/without obesity (OB/OAB) exhibited enrichment of propionic acid producers, Lactobacillus and Oscillibacter, which were inversely associated with inflammation. Mechanical stress primarily drove OA in rats with obesity, whereas OA pathology in individuals without obesity was microbiota dependent.

CONCLUSION

Gut microbiota from OA patients without obesity exacerbates disease via B. acidifaciens mediated acetic acid overproduction, while the presence of obesity enriches beneficial taxa that attenuate inflammation. Mechanical load remains pivotal in OA with obesity. Targeting microbiota dysbiosis may offer novel therapeutic avenues, particularly for OA patients without obesity.