Therapeutic effect of Faecalibacterium longum CM04-06 on DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice

AIMS: This study explores the impact of Faecalibacterium longum CM04-06 on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by regulating gut microbiota in mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: We reanalyzed the distribution of the CM04-06 genome in the metagenome of the IBD cohort and observed a significantly higher abundance of CM04-06 in healthy individuals compared to patients with UC or CD. The prophylactic administration of CM04-06 was evaluated for its effects on intestinal microbial diversity and community composition after a two-week trial in mice. The intestinal microbiota was characterized using metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples on the DNBSEQ platform. CM04-06 treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the Disease Activity Index (DAI) and histological scores, as well as a decrease in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, in both the colon and serum of DSS-induced mice. Furthermore, supplementation with CM04-06 significantly reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in both the colon and serum. Additionally, CM04-06 enhanced the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier by increasing the expression of tight junction proteins and mucin. Moreover, we observed greater abundances of Faecalibaculum rodentium, Alistipes onderdonkii, Alistipes shahii, and Bifidobacterium animalis after CM04-06 treatment. CONCLUSIONS: CM04-06 prevents and alleviates intestinal inflammation by modulating the composition of the microbiota community, increasing the abundance of beneficial probiotics, and suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels.