Metabolites (Feb 2024)

Deciphering the Role of the Gut Microbiota in Exposure to Emerging Contaminants and Diabetes: A Review

  • Xueqing Li,
  • Huixia Niu,
  • Zhengliang Huang,
  • Man Zhang,
  • Mingluan Xing,
  • Zhijian Chen,
  • Lizhi Wu,
  • Peiwei Xu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14020108
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 2
p. 108

Abstract

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Emerging pollutants, a category of compounds currently not regulated or inadequately regulated by law, have recently become a focal point of research due to their potential toxic effects on human health. The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in human health; it is particularly susceptible to disruption and alteration upon exposure to a range of toxic environmental chemicals, including emerging contaminants. The disturbance of the gut microbiome caused by environmental pollutants may represent a mechanism through which environmental chemicals exert their toxic effects, a mechanism that is garnering increasing attention. However, the discussion on the toxic link between emerging pollutants and glucose metabolism remains insufficiently explored. This review aims to establish a connection between emerging pollutants and glucose metabolism through the gut microbiota, delving into the toxic impacts of these pollutants on glucose metabolism and the potential role played by the gut microbiota.

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