Fecal transplantation alleviates acute liver injury in mice through regulating Treg/Th17 cytokines balance

Changes in intestinal microecology during acute liver failure (ALF) directly affect the occurrence and development of the disease. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the intestinal microbiota and the key immune cells. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was used to determine whether ALF can balance Th17/Treg cytokines. The relationship between gut microbiota and clinical indicators was analyzed. BALB/c mice were treated with d-galactosamine (d-GalN) to induce a murine ALF model. FMT to d-GalN mice was conducted to test for liver function indicators. Results showed that the proportions of Lachnospiraceae, Prevotella, S24-7, Odoribacter and Rikenellaceae in d-GalN mice with intestinal microbiota disorder were restored after FMT. Further, CIA analysis showed that bacteria had a covariant relationship with clinical indicators. Microbiota could account for changes in 49.9% of the overall clinical indicators. Adonis analysis showed that Ruminococcus, and Enterococcus have a greater impact on clinical indicators. FMT down-regulated the expression of IL-17A, TNF-α, and TGF-β, while up-regulated IL-10 and IL-22. Transplantation of feces from Saccharomyces boulardii donor mice improved GalN-induced liver damage. These findings indicate that FMT attenuates d-GalN-induced liver damage in mice, and a clinical trial is required to validate the relevance of our findings in humans, and to test whether this therapeutic approach is effective for patients with ALF.