Differences in gut microbiota associated with age, sex, and stool consistency in healthy Japanese subjects

• Published in: Journal of gastroenterology Vol. 54; no. 1; pp. 53 - 63
• Main Authors: Takagi, Tomohisa, Naito, Yuji, Inoue, Ryo, Kashiwagi, Saori, Uchiyama, Kazuhiko, Mizushima, Katsura, Tsuchiya, Saeko, Dohi, Osamu, Yoshida, Naohisa, Kamada, Kazuhiro, Ishikawa, Takeshi, Handa, Osamu, Konishi, Hideyuki, Okuda, Kayo, Tsujimoto, Yoshimasa, Ohnogi, Hiromu, Itoh, Yoshito
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer Japan 01.01.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Adult; Age; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Colorectal Surgery; Digestive system; Feces - microbiology; Female; Females; Fusobacterium; Gastroenterology; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - physiology; Gastrointestinal tract; Gut microbiota; Hepatology; Humans; Intestinal microflora; Intestine; Investigations; Japan; Male; Males; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Middle Aged; Original Article—Alimentary Tract; Sex; Sex Factors; Substrates; Surgical Oncology; Young Adult; Japan; Gut microbiota; 16S rRNA; Bristol stool scale
• DOI: 10.1007/s00535-018-1488-5
• ISSN: 0944-1174; 1435-5922

Background Human gut microbiota is involved in host health and disease development. Investigations of age-related and sex-related alterations in gut microbiota are limited, and the association between stool consistency and gut microbiota has not been fully investigated. We investigated gut microbiota differences related to age, sex, and stool consistency in healthy Japanese subjects. Methods Two-hundred and seventy-seven healthy Japanese subjects aged 20–89 years were enrolled. Fecal samples were obtained to analyze the gut microbiome. We evaluated the association between stool consistency [Bristol stool scale (BSS)] and gut microbiota. Results Although there were significant differences in the microbial structure between males and females, the α-diversity of gut microbiota showed no difference between males and females or among age groups. There were significant increases in genera Prevotella , Megamonas , Fusobacterium , and Megasphaera and Bifidobacterium , Ruminococcus , and Akkermansia in males and females, respectively. The ratio of hard stools (BSS types 1 and 2) was higher in females; the ratio of loose stools (BSS type 6) was higher in males. No younger male had BSS type 1 or type 2. Fusobacterium in males was significantly higher in the loose consistency group, and Oscillospira was significantly higher in the hard consistency group in males; Campylobacter , SMB53 , and Turicibacter were significantly higher in the hard consistency group in females. Conclusions Several changes in gut microbiota were associated with age and sex. Stool consistency and gut microbiota associations emphasized the importance of stool consistency assessments to understand intestinal function.