PSYLLIUM FIBER PROTECTS MICE AGAINST WESTERN DIET-INDUCED METABOLIC SYNDROME VIA MICROBIOTA-DEPENDENT MECHANISM

We sought to identify semi-purified fibers that broadly promote gut and metabolic health and, moreover, identify the mechanisms by which they do so. Screening an array of purified fibers led us o appreciate that, of all fibers tested, psyllium was unique in that it strongly protected mice against both colitis and metabolic syndrome. Further investigation led us to appreciate that psyllium’s mechanism of action is quite distinct. Specifically, data we report in a manuscript under review indicates that low doses of psyllium protect mice against colitis via increasing serum bile acids that activate FXR. Here, we report that higher doses of psyllium protect mice against diet-induced obesity/metabolic syndrome by a FXR-independent mechanism that requires presence of at least a minimal microbiota.