Characteristics of the intestinal bacterial microbiota profiles in Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum LI09 pre-treated rats with D-galactosamine-induced liver injury

Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum LI09 could prevent D-galactosamine-induced liver injury. Our previous study has preliminarily determined that different intestinal microbiota profiles existed in the LI09-treated rats. Due to the sample size limitation, some subsequent analyses could not be achieved. In the current study, we conducted different experiments and bioinformatic analyses to characterise the distinct intestinal bacterial microbiota profiles in the LI09-treated rats with liver injury (i.e., LI09 group). Partition around medoids clustering analysis determined two intestinal microbiota profiles (i.e., Cluster_1_LI09 and Cluster_2_LI09) in LI09 group. Compared with Cluster_2_LI09, Cluster_1_LI09 group was determined at less dysbiotic microbial status and with lower level of liver injury. The two microbiota profiles were determined with distinct representative amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), among which, ASV1_Akkermansia and ASV3_Bacteroides were most associated with Cluster_1_LI09 and Cluster_2_LI09, respectively. Multiple representative phylotypes in Cluster_1_LI09 negatively correlating with liver function variables were assigned to Parabacteroides, suggesting Parabacteroides could benefit LI09 on modulating the liver function. In addition, ASV310_Lachnospiraceae, ASV501_Muribaculaceae and ASV484_Lachnospiraceae were determined as network gatekeepers in Cluster_1_LI09 network. The relevant results suggest that some intestinal bacteria could assist LI09 in lowering the intestinal microbial dysbiosis in the rats with liver injury, and their clinical application deserves further investigation.