Intestinal permeability in pregnancy: dietary and microbial determinants and metabolic consequences
Abstract
Metabolic disorders during pregnancy may challenge the mother and child to long-term health complications. Emerging data indicates a link between increased intestinal permeability and metabolic risk markers in a non-pregnant population. Whether intestinal permeability changes in pregnancy and is related to metabolic risk markers is poorly known.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of gut microbiota and diet on serum zonulin concentration, a marker of intestinal permeability, and the relationship between serum zonulin concentration and metabolic risk markers during early pregnancy (n=100). The study also investigated the impact of supplemental probiotics and n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) on intestinal epithelial integrity in vitro as well as changes in serum zonulin concentration from early to late pregnancy (n=200). The study population consisted of overweight and obese pregnant women (BMI>25), who were participating in a larger randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.
The results show that a richer gut microbiota composition, a higher abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, a higher dietary intake of fibre and n-3 LC-PUFA as well as multiple vitamins and minerals were associated with lower serum zonulin concentration, ie. lower intestinal permeability. Serum zonulin concentration correlated with serum endotoxin activity, markers of low grade inflammation and glucose metabolism in early pregnancy, suggesting that intestinal permeability may be of importance in regulating maternal metabolic health. Serum zonulin concentration increased with pregnancy progress. While Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis 420 and n-3 LC-PUFA enhanced intestinal epithelium in vitro, they had no effect on serum zonulin levels during pregnancy.
