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Radiation-induced intestinal damage (RIID) is a serious disease with limited effective treatment. Nuclear explosion, nuclear release, nuclear application and especially radiation therapy are all highly likely to cause radioactive intestinal damage. The intestinal microecology is an organic whole with a symbiotic relationship formed by the interaction between a relatively stable microbial community living in the intestinal tract and the host. Imbalance and disorders of intestinal microecology are related to the occurrence and development of multiple systemic diseases, especially intestinal diseases. Increasing evidence indicates that the gut microbiota and its metabolites play an important role in the pathogenesis and prevention of RIID. Radiation leads to gut microbiota imbalance, including a decrease in the number of beneficial bacteria and an increase in the number of harmful bacteria that cause RIID. In this review, we describe the pathological mechanisms of RIID, the changes in intestinal microbiota, the metabolites induced by radiation, and their mechanism in RIID. Finally, the mechanisms of various methods for regulating the microbiota in the treatment of RIID are summarized.

The international cooperated research projects of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) and Metagenomics of The Human Intestinal Tract (MetaHIT) were officially launched in 2007, which indicated the era of metagenomics research of microorganisms in human gastrointestinal tract had been coming. Each human body is a superorganism which is composed of 90% commensal microorganisms, especially the intestinal microorganisms. The intestinal microorganisms play an important role on health maintenance since they are involved in the absorption and metabolism of nutrients in the human bodies. Herein, we review the research progress in the mechanism of intestinal microorganisms in human diseases. Our purpose is to provide novel ideas on human health and therapeutic targets of diseases.