Gut microbiome and toxicological risks

15 important questions on Gut microbiome and toxicological risks

How are the gut microbiota and the toxicolaty linked?

Microbiota affects metabolism of chemicals and thus toxicity of chemicals.

Chemicals can be changed due to the micro-organism present in the gut. This can be good or not good.

What are the modes of interactions of microbes and toxins?

A) Activation
B) Deactivation
C) Direct binding
D) Intermediates
E) Altered kinetics

How does the activation mode of action between microbes and toxins work?

  • Gut microbes can be convert products into active drugs.
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What is a example of the activation mode of interaction?

pro-drugs prontosil, sulfasalazine and others.

Main idea is azoreduction of a chemical and when that happens it becomes a active component.

so the double N=N bond is broken.

When you have antibiotics this drug will not work anymore since you don't have the right micro organisms anymore to do the azoreduction.

What is the mode of action for deactivation?

Gut microbes can detoxify drugs.

What is an example of the model of action for deactivation?

Digoxin

People who have E. lenta in there gut can inactivat the drug. So the dose you get of the drug should depend on the amount of E. lenta you have in your gut.

If you get a to high dose it might be toxic. If you get a to low dose it does not work.

What is the mode of action for direct binding?

The gut microbes can bind directly with the drug compromising there bio availability.

What is a example of the model of action of direct binding?

The conversion of levodopa to dopamine.

In order to be active levodpa needs to become dopamine. However it needs to be levadopa in order to reach the brain.

Since levadopa is converted to dopamine by the bacteria it can not reach the brain anymore. So it is bouth a activation and a inactivation.

What is the mode of action for intermediates?

intermediate microbioal products can lead to pathogenesis (the manner of devolopment of a disease).

What is a example of the mode of action for intermediates?

Melamine!

Melamine binds to cyanuric acid and makes kidney stones.

If you have certain bacteria in you faces they will convert melamine to cyanuric acid (intermediates) and this makes that you can get kidney stones. And because of this kidney failure.   
So the intermadiates formed by the bacteria make your products make the melanine toxic.

What is the mode of action for altered kinetics?

Gut microbiological metabolites compete with drug for enzyme-binding sites, leading to alterations in the drug efficacy or toxicity.

What is an example of the mode of action for altered kinetics?

Paracetamol!

The gut microbiata an produce a compound which has sulfate.

The enzyme that has to detoxify the toxic NAPQI is now busy with getting the sulfate group of the molecule made by the micro organisms.

The increase toxic intermediate can be dangerous and cause liver damage.

What are 2 examples of food born chemicals for which the gut microbiota is of influence?

  1. Flavanoids including soy isoflavones (daidzein)
  2. Heavy metals (arsenic and Mercury)

How do flavanoids get inluenced by the gut microbiota?

Daizein is a flavanoid in soy. It can be converted to Equol by the gut bacteria. This is a more potent phyoestrogen.
Not all people can do this and probably difference in diet and genetic factors are the reason.
Being able to convert diazein to equol and eating a lot of it might cause cancer.

How do heavy metals get influenced by the gut microbiota?

It might influence it by methylation of the heavy meatle. The higher degree of methylation the more you can have before it gets toxic.

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