Effect of Gut Microbiota from Patients with Uremia on Body Weight and Microinflammation in Rats.

BACKGROUND

Gut dysbiosis is associated with malnutrition and inflammation in chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, the causality remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine whether fecal microbiota from patients with stage 5 CKD can directly induce nutritional impairment and inflammatory responses in recipient rats.

METHODS

Fecal microbiota from patients with stage 5 CKD and healthy controls were transplanted into rats treated with antibiotics. After 2 weeks, we assessed nutritional parameters, inflammatory markers, and microbial composition.

RESULTS

Compared with the healthy-fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) group, rats receiving CKD-derived microbiota exhibited a significant reduction in body weight (466.70 ± 12.60 g compared with 433.90 ± 20.10 g) and serum albumin concentrations (22.87 ± 5.43 g/L compared with 20.36 ± 7.51 g/L). In contrast, serum inflammatory markers were significantly elevated in the CKD-FMT group, including C-reactive protein (12.10 ± 3.10 mg/L compared with 15.40 ± 5.00 mg/L) and interleukin-6 (14.30 ± 1.80 pg/L compared with 18.80 ± 2.10 pg/L) (all P < 0.05). Microbial analysis revealed enrichment of Enterobacteriaceae and depletion of beneficial genera such as Lactobacillus and Ruminococcaceae.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide direct evidence that gut microbiota from patients with uremia can impair nutritional status and aggravate systemic inflammation in recipient rats, underscoring a pathogenic role of dysbiosis in CKD complications.