Pork Meat Proteins Alter Gut Microbiota and Lipid Metabolism Genes in the Colon of Adaptive Immune-Deficient Mice

Scope Excessive consumption of processed meat has been linked to an increasing risk of gut diseases. It is investigated how pork meat proteins affect colon homeostasis between normal and immune-compromised mice. Methods and results Immune-deficient mice (Rag1(-/-)) and wild-type mice are fed a diet that contains 20% casein or protein isolated from cooked pork or dry-cured pork for 3 months. Rag1(-/-) mice show greater variations in transcriptome responses and higher microbial diversity than wild-type mice after consumption of the pork meat protein diets. Intake of pork meat protein diets also increases body weight and induces colonic oxidative stress, low-grade inflammation, and gene expression involved in immune function, cell cycle, and migration. Key genes like Hmox1, Ppara, and Pparg are highly upregulated by pork meat protein. These changes are associated with decreased abundances of Blautia, Bifidobacterium, and Alistipes and increased abundances of Akkermansia muciniphila and Ruminococcaceae. Conclusion Pork meat proteins affect colon health in both wild-type and Rag1(-/-) mice by altering the microbiome profile under the complex interaction with adaptive immunity. The findings herein give a new insight into the understanding of meat intake, immunity, and gut health.