Intestinal Ecology in the Metabolic Syndrome

Nutritional and genetic factors alter the intestinal microflora, predisposing individuals toward metabolic syndrome. Gewirtz and coworkers (Vijay-Kumar et al., 2010), employing Toll-like receptor 5 null mice, present evidence for a direct relationship between malfunction of the innate immune system, changes in gut microbiota composition, and development of metabolic syndrome.