Maternal Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy and lactation induced damaged intestinal structure and intestinal flora homeostasis in offspring mice

The small intestine serves as the first channel of dietary Vitamin A (VA) and the unique organ of VA absorption and metabolism. However, there have not been extensive investigations on the exact mechanisms within VA-related changes in intestinal metabolic disorders. This research is designed to analyze whether and how VA affects intestinal metabolic phenotypes. Male C57BL/6 mice after weaning were randomly fed a VA control diet (VAC) or a VA-deficient diet (VAD) during the entire pregnancy and lactation process. After a total of 11 weeks, cohorts of VA deprived were next fed to a VA control diet (VAD-C) for another 8 weeks. The concentration of retinol was measured by a high-performance liquid chromatography system. The 16S gene sequencing was used to evaluate the intestinal microbiota changes. Through the use of histological staining, western blots, quantitative PCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, the intestinal morphology, inflammatory factors, and intestinal permeability were all evaluated. Following the decrease of the tissue VA levels, VAD mice show a decrease in tissue VA levels, community differences, and the richness and diversity of intestinal microbiota. VAD diet-driven changes occur in intestinal microbiota, accompanied by a higher mRNA expression of intestinal inflammatory cytokines and an increase in intestinal permeability. As dietary VA is reintroduced into VAD diet-fed mice, the tissue VA levels, inflammatory response, and intestinal homeostasis profiles are all restored, which are similar to those found after the occurrence of VA-controlled changes within intestinal microbiota. VA deficiency caused the imbalance of intestinal metabolic phenotypes through a mechanism involving changes in intestinal microbiota. It is thought that intestinal microbiota metabolic influences represent a new salient and additional mechanism, which can be used as a new method to achieve the onset and treatment of the effect of VAD on intestinal homeostasis impairment.