Fecal microbial transplantation and a high fiber diet attenuates emphysema development by suppressing inflammation and apoptosis

Abstract

Lung disease: Fecal transplants and fiber reduce airway inflammation Fecal transplants and high-fiber diets help to mitigate the lung damage caused by smoking in mice, a finding that could lead to new therapeutic interventions for people suffering from emphysema. A team led by Sei Won Lee and Yong Shin from the University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea, exposed mice to cigarette smoke and a molecule stimulating the immune system to induce chronic lung disease. The researchers then treated the mice with feces from healthy donor animals or fed them a high-fiber diet. Both interventions altered the microbial community in the gut, leading to increased ability to convert dietary fiber into short chaing fatty acid with immune-modulating effects. Consequently, the mice exhibited less inflammation throughout their bodies, including in the lungs, where alveolar structure was protected from destruction.