Deficient butyrate metabolism in the intestinal microbiome is a potential risk factor for recurrent kidney stone disease

AbstractIntestinal microbiome dysbiosis is a known risk factor for recurrent kidney stone disease (KSD) with prior data suggesting a role for dysfunctional metabolic pathways other than those directly utilizing oxalate. To identify alternative mechanisms, the current study analyzed differences in the metabolic potential of intestinal microbiomes of patients (n = 17) and live-in controls (n = 17) and determined their relevance to increased risk for KSD using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We found no differences in the abundance of genes associated with known oxalate degradation pathways, supporting the notion that dysfunction in other metabolic pathways plays a role in KSD. Furt her analysis showed decreased abundance of key enzymes involved in butyrate biosynthesis in patient intestinal microbiomes. Furthermore, de novo construction of microbial genomes showed that the majority of genes significantly enriched in non-stone formers are affiliated withFaecalibacterium prausnitzii, a major butyrate producer. Specifically pertaining to butyrate metabolism, the majority of abundant genes mapped back toF. prausnitzii, Alistipesspp., andAkkermansia muciniphila. No differences were observed in ascorbate or glyoxylate metabolic pathways. Collectively, these data suggest that impaired bacterial-associated butyrate metabolism  may be an oxalate-independent mechanism that contributes to an increased risk for recurrent KSD. This indicates that the role of the intestinal microbio...
Source: Urolithiasis - Category: Urology & Nephrology Source Type: research