Effects of dietary phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin on DSS-induced colitis by regulating metabolism and gut microbiota in mice

Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases tend to show alteration of lipid profiles . It remains unknown whether dietary intake with specific lipids, such as phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM), have distinguishable effects against IBD. Here, a preclinical study using dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mice model was applied to explore/compare the effects by PC, and SM. Results showed that PC treatment (p.o., 30 mg/kg b.w., 15 d) exerted higher inhibitory activity than the same dosage of SM supplementation on colonic tissue lesions and pro-inflammatory cytokines expressions induced by DSS. Integrative analysis of the metabolome and microbiome indicated that PC and SM supplementation could modulate endogenous tryptophan metabolism , arginine and proline metabolism, purine metabolism , bile secretion , as well as vitamin digestion and absorption, closely correlated with their regulation on the abundance of Lactobacillus , Faecalibacterium , Dubosiella, Turicibacter , and Parasutterella communities in the gut. Based on these data, PC is a more promising candidate for preventing colitis than SM. Our findings provided a scientific foundation for further clinical research to screen more efficient dietary intervention strategy for colitis prevention.