title: Exercise prevents weight gain and alters the gut microbiota in a mouse model of high fat diet-induced obesity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diet-induced obesity (DIO) is a significant health concern which has been linked to structural and functional changes in the gut microbiota. Exercise (Ex) is effective in preventing obesity, but whether Ex alters the gut microbiota during development with high fat (HF) feeding is unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Determine the effects of voluntary Ex on the gastrointestinal microbiota in LF-fed mice and in HF-DIO.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male C57BL/6 littermates (5 weeks) were distributed equally into 4 groups: low fat (LF) sedentary (Sed) LF/Sed, LF/Ex, HF/Sed and HF/Ex. Mice were individually housed and LF/Ex and HF/Ex cages were equipped with a wheel and odometer to record Ex. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks and used for bacterial DNA isolation. DNA was subjected both to quantitative PCR using primers specific to the 16S rRNA encoding genes for Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes and to sequencing for lower taxonomic identification using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Data were analyzed using a one or two-way ANOVA or Pearson correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HF diet resulted in significantly greater body weight and adiposity as well as decreased glucose tolerance that were prevented by voluntary Ex (p<0.05). Visualization of Unifrac distance data with principal coordinates analysis indicated clustering by both diet and Ex at week 12. Sequencing demonstrated Ex-induced changes in the percentage of major bacterial phyla at 12 weeks. A correlation between total Ex distance and the ΔCt Bacteroidetes: ΔCt Firmicutes ratio from qPCR demonstrated a significant inverse correlation (r2 = 0.35, p = 0.043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ex induces a unique shift in the gut microbiota that is different from dietary effects. Microbiota changes may play a role in Ex prevention of HF-DIO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Christian C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kathy J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: LePard
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jeff W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mary C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Stancukas
authors.affiliation: College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laskowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America; Department of Dental Medicine, College of Dental Medicine, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dougherty
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moulton
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Glawe
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yunwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dionysios A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Antonopoulos
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Eugene B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mae J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ciancio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009929:Organ Size; D010802:Phylogeny; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D015430:Weight Gain