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<p>Primary bile acids (BAs), synthesized from cholesterol in the liver, after their secretion with bile into the intestinal lumen, are transformed by gut microbiota to secondary BAs. As natural detergents, BAs play a key role in the digestion and absorption of lipids and liposoluble vitamins. However, they have also been recognized as important signaling molecules involved in numerous metabolic processes. The close bidirectional interactions between BAs and gut microbiota occur since BAs influence microbiota composition, whereas microbiota determines BA metabolism. In particular, it is well established that BAs modulate <italic>Clostridioides difficile</italic> life cycle <italic>in vivo</italic>. <italic>C. difficile</italic> is a cause of common nosocomial infections that have become a growing concern. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the impact of BAs on the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of <italic>C. difficile</italic> infection.
<fig id="j_pjm-2022-007_fig_004" position="anchor" fig-type="figure"><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="graphic/j_pjm-2022-007_fig_004.jpg"></graphic></fig>
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</abstract>

Primary bile acids (BAs), synthesized from cholesterol in the liver, after their secretion with bile into the intestinal lumen, are transformed by gut microbiota to secondary BAs. As natural detergents, BAs play a key role in the digestion and absorption of lipids and liposoluble vitamins. However, they have also been recognized as important signaling molecules involved in numerous metabolic processes. The close bidirectional interactions between BAs and gut microbiota occur since BAs influence microbiota composition, whereas microbiota determines BA metabolism. In particular, it is well established that BAs modulate Clostridioides difficile life cycle in vivo. C. difficile is a cause of common nosocomial infections that have become a growing concern. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the impact of BAs on the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of C. difficile infection.

Impact of Primary and Secondary Bile Acids on <italic>Clostridioides difficile</italic> Infection

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Polish Journal of Microbiology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Impact of Primary and Secondary Bile Acids on  Infection

Primary bile acids (BAs), synthesized from cholesterol in the liver, after their secretion with bile into the intestinal lumen, are transformed by gut...

Impact of Primary and Secondary Bile Acids on Clostridioides difficile Infection

Article Category: Minireview

Published Online: Mar 14, 2022

Page range: 11 - 18

Received: Nov 10, 2021

Accepted: Jan 31, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2022-007

Keywords
bile acids, infection, ursodeoxycholic acid, obeticholic acid

© 2022 Agata Łukawska et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Impact of Primary and Secondary Bile Acids on Clostridioides difficile Infection

Article Category: Minireview

Published Online: Mar 14, 2022

Page range: 11 - 18

Received: Nov 10, 2021

Accepted: Jan 31, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2022-007

Keywordsbile acids, infection, ursodeoxycholic acid, obeticholic acid

© 2022 Agata Łukawska et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
bile acids, infection, ursodeoxycholic acid, obeticholic acid