| Theme |
Obesity and Digestive Organ |
| Title |
The Gut Microbiome of Obesity |
| Author |
Akira Andoh |
Division of Gastroenterology, Depaetment of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science |
| [ Summary ] |
Obesity is a worldwide epidemic and has stimulated investigations to clarify the host and environmental factors that affect energy balance. Previous studies that compare the gut microbiome of obese and lean mice, as well as those of obese and lean human volunteers have revealed that obesity is associated with changes in the microbial structure of the gut. The studies showed a decrease in the relative abundance of Firmicutes and an increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes. In addition, the obese microbiome has an increased capacity to harvest energy from the diet. Therefore, the gut microbiome plays an important role in the pathophysiology of obesity. |