Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41163076›Full record

ArticleMicrobiome2025

Gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids promote follicular maturation via gWAT-ovary axis in mammals.

Baoyang Xu, Wenxia Qin, Yuwen Chen, Zhenhong Yan, Yimei Tang, Shuyi Zhou, Juncheng Huang, Libao Ma, Xianghua Yan

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Microbiome, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Recent advances inFood chemistry: X · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Baoyang XuCollege of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
Wenxia QinCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Yuwen ChenCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Zhenhong YanCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Yimei TangCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Shuyi ZhouCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Juncheng HuangCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Libao MaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Xianghua YanNational Engineering Research Center for Green Feed and Healthy Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science (Eastern of China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Breeding for High-Quality Animal Products Institute of Feed Science, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China. xhyan2024@zju.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrevious studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota regulates reproductive performance in mammals. Our prior research identified the gut microbiota-ovary axis as an important contributor to the superior follicular development observed in Chinese indigenous Meishan sows, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to elucidate the mechanism through which gut microbiota regulates follicular development.

resultsFecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from Meishan sows promoted follicular maturation in recipient Landrace × Yorkshire sows, evidenced by increased numbers of antral follicles, secondary follicles, and corpora lutea, accompanied by decreased atretic follicles. Additionally, FMT altered reproductive hormone profiles, significantly elevating estradiol secretion during the estrous cycle prior to sampling. Multi-omics analyses identified four key bacterial species of Fibrobacter intestinalis, Lactobacillus mucosae, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, and Ruminococcin flavefaciens, along with short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), that are closely associated with follicular maturation. These microbial species and their shared metabolites SCFAs promoted follicular maturation and ovulation rate by inhibiting apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells, thus reducing follicular atresia. Mechanistically, SCFAs activated G-protein-coupled receptor 43 (GPR43), which is highly expressed in peri-ovarian gonadal white adipose tissue (gWAT). This SCFAs-mediated activation of GPR43 stimulated leptin secretion from gWAT in a concentration-dependent manner, consequently suppressing granulosa cell apoptosis and promoting follicular maturation. Furthermore, in a large-scale validation trial, dietary SCFAs supplementation increased litter size by approximately 5.91%.

conclusionCollectively, gut microbiota-derived SCFAs promote follicular maturation and increase litter size in sows by stimulating leptin secretion from peri-ovarian gWAT, thus providing novel insights into enhancing reproductive outcomes in mammals. Video Abstract.

Indexed as

Fatty Acids, VolatileGastrointestinal MicrobiomeOvarian FollicleOvaryAnimalsBacteriaFecal Microbiota TransplantationFemaleReceptors, G-Protein-CoupledSwineFatty Acids, VolatileReceptors, G-Protein-CoupledFecal microbiota transplantationFollicular developmentGranulosa cellsSows

Identifiers

PMID41163076
PMCPMC12574281

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.