Study on the Diversity of Intestinal Microbiota in Mice after Cholecystectomy
Cholecystectomy is a common surgical procedure. While effective for treating gallstones, its long-term impact on digestive health, particularly through alterations to the gut ecosystem, is not fully understood. The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile acids, which are crucial for fat digestion and also function as potent signaling molecules that shape the gut microbial community. Removal of the gallbladder disrupts the rhythmic, meal-triggered release of bile, leading to a continuous, diluted flow of bile acids into the intestine. This study aims to investigate how this fundamental change in biliary physiology affects the diversity and composition of the intestinal microbiota. We employed 16S rRNA gene sequencing to comprehensively analyze and compare the fecal microbial profiles of C57BL/6J mice following cholecystectomy against sham-operated controls.The findings are expected to provide pivotal insights into the pathophysiology of post-cholecystectomy syndromes and identify potential microbial targets for future interventions.