Cross-talk among metabolic parameters, esophageal microbiota, and host gene expression following chronic exposure to an obesogenic diet

Unhealthy diets, and ensuing weight gain, predispose individuals to the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma. We examined the effect of chronic high fat diet (HFD) on the esophageal microbiota of Sprague Dawley rats using Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing (V4, 515 F/806 R) and on esophageal expression of IL18, PTGS2, PPARA, FFAR3, and CRAT. The relationships among metabolic parameters, esophageal microbiota, and host gene expression were determined. We observed a significant difference between the upper and lower esophageal microbiota in control fed rats, emphasized by enrichment of Lactobacillus species in the lower esophagus. Rats on HFD gained significantly more fat and had reduced insulin sensitivity. Diet type significantly affected the esophageal microbiota, with Clostridium sensu stricto being enriched in both upper and lower segments of HFD fed rats. Of interest, bacterial pathways related to carotenoid biosynthesis were significantly decreased in the lower esophagus of HFD fed rats. We observed strong correlations between metabolic parameters, the esophageal microbial profiles, and host esophageal gene expression. In particular, Fusobacterium, Rothia, and Granulicatella showed consistent correlations across a range of metabolic and gene markers. Our data indicates that unhealthy diets can significantly alter the esophageal microbiota, and enrich for bacterial species previously associated with chronic gastrointestinal diseases.