Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT3903

Introduction: The obesity, a multifactorial disease, is arousing growing interest in the role of the gut microbiota. The aim of this study is to explore the complex links between the composition of the microbiota and the development of obesity. Through a literature review, we will examine the various proposed hypotheses, the physiological mechanisms involved, and the therapeutic prospects offered by modulation of the microbiota.

Methods: To carry out this work, we carried out a quite wide-ranging bibliographical search in the following databases: PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar to identify the most relevant articles. After excluding duplicates, we retained 26 appropriate articles.

Results: Obesity is associated with changes in the composition of the gut microbiota, essentially a higher Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio, which may influence energy storage, inflammation and insulin resistance. High-fat diets can alter microbiota, leading to increased intestinal permability which contribute to low-grade inflammation and obesity. Antibiotic treatment of mice reduced metabolic endotoxemia and improved glucose tolerance, body weight and markers of inflammation. The intestinal microbiota affects host metabolism through various mechanisms, including colonic fermentation of non-digestible fibres and modulation of the endocannabinoid system. Strategies aimed at the composition of microbiota, such as prebiotics and probiotics, may offer potential interventions for the management of obesity. In addition, factors such as mode of birth, breastfeeding can influence the early development of the infantil microbiota, which may have an impact on future metabolic health.

Conclusion: These results are encouraging, but many challenges remain. The complexity of gut microbiota, the uniqueness of responses and the eventual interactions with other factors make it particularly challenging to put in place a large-scale personalised therapeutic strategies.