The gut microbiota strongly influences digestive and metabolic health. A study recently published in Nature Metabolism reports a link between hydrogen sulfide released by the gut microbiota and GLP-1 production in the intestines. The findings might have implications for treatment and prevention of the metabolic syndrome.

To elucidate the mechanism behind this response, the researchers studied interactions between mouse enteroendocrine L cells and Desulfovibrio. They found that exposing cultured L cells to Desulfovibrio culture supernatant inhibited GLP-1 production in response to glucose. As Desulfovibrio is a major producer of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), the researchers tested the hypothesis that H2S inhibits L-cell GLP-1 production by treating the cells with the H2S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS). In line with the hypothesis, the cells produced less GLP-1 when exposed to NaHS than when NaHS was not present. The investigators also treated the cells with bismuth salicylate (an over-the-counter drug that sequesters H2S) along with the Desulfovibrio supernatant and demonstrated that this treatment rescued GLP-1 production in a dose-dependent manner.