Recovery Dynamics of Intestinal Bacterial Communities of CCl(4)-Treated Mice with or without Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation over Different Time Points

Liver injury has caused significant illness in humans worldwide. The dynamics of intestinal bacterial communities associated with natural recovery and therapy for CCl(4)-treated liver injury remain poorly understood. This study was designed to determine the recovery dynamics of intestinal bacterial communities in CCl(4)-treated mice with or without mesenchymal stem cell transplantation (i.e., MSC and CCl(4) groups) at 48 h, 1 week (w), and 2 w. MSCs significantly improved the histopathology, survival rate, and intestinal structural integrity in the treated mice. The gut bacterial communities were determined with significant changes in both the MSC and CCl(4) groups over time, with the greatest difference between the MSC and CCl(4) groups at 48 h. The liver injury dysbiosis ratio experienced a decrease in the MSC groups and a rise in the CCl(4) groups over time, suggesting the mice in the MSC group at 48 h and the CCl(4) group at two weeks were at the least gut microbial dysbiosis status among the corresponding cohorts. Multiple OTUs and functional categories were associated with each of the bacterial communities in the MSC and CCl(4) groups over time. Among these gut phylotypes, OTU1352_S24-7 was determined as the vital member in MSC-treated mice at 48 h, while OTU453_S24-7, OTU1213_Ruminococcaceae, and OTU841_Ruminococcus were determined as the vital phylotypes in CCl(4)-treated mice at two weeks. The relevant findings could assist the diagnosis of the microbial dysbiosis status of intestinal bacterial communities in the CCl(4)-treated cohorts with or without MSC transplantation.