Interrelationships between gut microbiome and serum medium mass molecules in menopausal women

During menopause, the composition of the gut microbiota undergoes changes. At the same time, age-related deficiency of sex hormones occurs, which is considered the basis for the development of metabolic disorders, including oxidative and carbonyl stress, and this may be one of the reasons for the change in the medium mass molecules (MMM) content. Aim of the study was to establish the relationship between the MMM level and representatives of the gut microbiota in menopausal women.

Material and methods. The study involved 98 women who met the following criteria: age from 45 to 69 years, amenorrhea or menstrual irregularities, anti-Müllerian hormone level less than 1.2 ng/ml. Exclusion criteria: exacerbation of chronic and presence of infectious diseases, diabetes mellitus, taking antibacterial drugs during the last three months. A quantitative assessment of the state of the gut microflora was performed using the test system Kolonoflor-16 (premium) by PCR. The MMM content was assessed in blood serum by a spectrophotometry at 238, 254, 260 and 280 nm with subsequent calculation of distribution ratio.

Results. The presence of a linear relationship between the MMM content and the gut microbiome composition was revealed: an increase in the total bacterial mass, as well as the content of Bacteroides spp., Roseburia inulinivorans in fecal samples, positively correlates with the MMM level determined at all wavelengths. Bacterial indicators are also associated with distribution ratio 238/260 and 238/280.

Conclusions. In menopausal women, the MMM level is interconnected with the volume of gut microbiota and the content of its individual representatives, however, changes in these indicators cannot be unambiguously interpreted as pathological, since this can be part of natural physiological processes.

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