International journal of women's health
Gut Microbiota and SCFA Changes After Alendronate-Calcitriol Therapy in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
By Shen F, Hu L, Xin C and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) is driven primarily by estrogen deficiency, and gut microbiota-derived metabolites may participate in bone remodeling. The intestinal effects of conventional anti-osteoporosis therapy remain unclear. We investigated gut microbial and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) changes associated with alendronate-calcitriol therapy in PMO.
Methods
Forty-one postmenopausal women were enrolled, including 21 healthy controls and 20 patients with PMO. PMO patients received oral alendronate plus calcitriol for six months, with paired fecal samples collected before and after treatment. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to assess microbial taxonomy, KEGG pathways, and CAZy profiles. Fecal SCFAs were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
