Effects of prolonged confined space operations on human gut microbiota and serum metabolome
Human Nutrition & Metabolism, 2025
Sun F., Qin G., Zeng H., Guan M., Liu H., Qiu H., Wei T., Hu H.
| Disease area | Application area | Sample type | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
Nutritional Science | Pathophysiology | Serum |  Olink Target 96 |
Abstract
Objective
Psychophysiological stress caused by long-term closed environments can disturb the homeostasis of the intestinal flora, which can aggravate bodily stress through metabolic dysfunction, forming a vicious circle. The purpose of this study was to analyze the mechanisms of the intestinal flora and serum metabolism of individuals working in closed environments, reveal the characteristics of the flora and metabolomes of such workers, and provide the basis for health protection.
Methods
Fecal and serum samples of nine healthy volunteers were collected before entering the cabin, and on days 14 and 28, the intestinal microflora was analyzed via 16 S rRNA sequencing. Serum metabolomics analysis was performed via LC-MS. Serum inflammatory factors were analyzed using the targeted proteome Olink technique.
Results
A total of 6373 OTUs were identified. At the gate level, 5/9 of the subjects exhibited significantly increased levels of Proteobacteria on day 14, and 6/9 of the subjects exhibited increased levels of Firmicutes on Day 28. Bacteroides levels continued to decrease. Linear discriminant analysis effect size showed a decrease in Prevotellamassilia timonensis and Alloprevotella and an increase in Clostridiales spp. By day 28. LC-MS revealed that 93 metabolites were upregulated and 178 metabolites were downregulated compared with the baseline. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that amino acid biosynthesis was significantly activated on day 14 (P < 0.05), while steroid hormone and fatty acid biosynthesis dominated on day 28. Olink analysis revealed significantly increased expression of IL-2 and CCL23 on day 28 (P < 0.05).ConclusionThe closed environment can induce structural adjustment of the microbial community (enrichment of Firmicutes and reduction of Bacteroides), which can lead to dynamic reprogramming of serum metabolites and gradual activation of inflammation. These findings suggest the temporal adaptability of microbial metabolic functions and host inflammatory response.