Oral exposure to environmental pollutant benzo[a]pyrene impacts the intestinal epithelium and induces gut microbial shifts in murine model

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 31027 - 11
• Main Authors: Ribière, Céline, Peyret, Pierre, Parisot, Nicolas, Darcha, Claude, Déchelotte, Pierre J., Barnich, Nicolas, Peyretaillade, Eric, Boucher, Delphine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 09.08.2016; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 14/63; 631/326/2565/2142; 631/326/2565/855; 64/60; Abundance; Administration, Oral; Animal models; Animals; Benzo(a)pyrene; Benzo(a)pyrene - administration & dosage; Benzo(a)pyrene - toxicity; Digestive system; Disease Models, Animal; Dysbacteriosis; Dysbiosis - etiology; Dysbiosis - microbiology; Environmental Exposure; Environmental factors; Environmental Pollutants - administration & dosage; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Epithelium; Exposure; Feces - microbiology; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - genetics; Gastrointestinal tract; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - etiology; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - microbiology; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - pathology; Intestinal microflora; Intestinal Mucosa - drug effects; Intestinal Mucosa - microbiology; Intestinal Mucosa - pathology; Intestine; Life Sciences; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mucosa; multidisciplinary; Pollutants; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Pyrene; Rodents; rRNA 16S; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Small intestine; Toxicity
• DOI: 10.1038/srep31027
• ISSN: 2045-2322

Gut microbiota dysbiosis are associated with a wide range of human diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases. The physiopathology of these diseases has multifactorial aetiology in which environmental factors, particularly pollution could play a crucial role. Among the different pollutants listed, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are subject to increased monitoring due to their wide distribution and high toxicity on Humans. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate the impact of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP, most toxic PAH) oral exposure on the faecal and intestinal mucosa-associated bacteria in C57BL/6 mice. Intestinal inflammation was also evaluated by histological observations. BaP oral exposure significantly altered the composition and the abundance of the gut microbiota and led to moderate inflammation in ileal and colonic mucosa. More severe lesions were observed in ileal segment. Shifts in gut microbiota associated with moderate inflammatory signs in intestinal mucosa would suggest the establishment of a pro-inflammatory intestinal environment following BaP oral exposure. Therefore, under conditions of genetic susceptibility and in association with other environmental factors, exposure to this pollutant could trigger and/or accelerate the development of inflammatory pathologies.