Effects of periodontitis on the colon microbiome

"We have shown that the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), known to regulate gut motility functions and NRF2, a transcriptional factor known to regulate several antioxidant genes, mediated Phase II protein expression have been altered in colon specimens of polybacterialinfected ApoE-/-mice," said Miriam Walker. "The gut microbiome plays a vital role in intestinal motility, however it is unclear whether oral polybacterial DNA is present in colon and how it alters the microbiome and NO synthesis in this mice animal model."

The goal of this study was to determine whether oral pathogens are found in the colon and to investigate how these pathogens modulate the microbiome of the colon. Colon specimens were obtained from 16 weeks polymicrobial-infected and healthy mice. Microbial DNA from colon specimens were isolated and analyzed by use of 454 pyrosequencing of 16S RNA genes.

"Through BLAST and RDP analysis, several microbiome were found in the colon that belongs to oral and colon microbiome," said Walker. "Our studies are the first to demonstrate that polybacterial infection can alter colon microbial environment and this may impact on colon motility."

This is a summary of poster #0425 titled "Effects of Periodontitis on the Colon Microbiome" presented by Miriam Walker on Thursday, March 22, 2018 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., USA.