Low-dose glyphosate exposure alters gut microbiota composition and modulates gut homeostasis.

The widespread use of glyphosate, a broad-spectrum herbicide, has resulted in significant human exposure, and recent studies have challenged the notion that glyphosate is safe for humans. Although the link between disease states and glyphosate exposure is increasingly appreciated, the mechanistic links between glyphosate and its toxic effects on human health are poorly understood. Recent studies have suggested that glyphosate may cause toxicity through modulation of the gut microbiome, but evidence for glyphosate-induced gut dysbiosis and its effect on host physiology at doses approximating the U.S. Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI = 1.75 mg/kg body weight) is limited. Here, utilizing shotgun metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples from C57BL/6 J mice, we show that glyphosate exposure at doses approximating the U.S. ADI significantly impacts gut microbiota composition. These gut microbial alterations were associated with effects on gut homeostasis characterized by increased proinflammatory CD4 ⁺ IL17A ⁺ T cells and Lipocalin-2, a known marker of intestinal inflammation.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Ashutosh Mangalam reports financial support was provided by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Ashutosh Mangalam reports financial support was provided by US Department of Veterans Affairs. Ashutosh Mangalam reports financial support was provided by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Ashutosh Mangalam has patent Prevotella histicola for the treatment of autoimmune diseases with royalties paid to Mayo Clinic Ventures/Evelo Bioscience. Disclosure statement AKM is inventor of a technology claiming the use of Prevotella histicola for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The patent for the technology is owned by Mayo Clinic, who has given exclusive license to Evelo Biosciences. AKM received royalties from Mayo Clinic (paid by Evelo Biosciences). However, no fund or product from the patent were used in the present study. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(Published by Elsevier B.V.)