Superficial skin wounds are not only superficial, but also pose a danger to other systems in the human body
New research reveals the far-reaching consequences of skin wounds on overall health, going beyond their impact at the skin surface level and suggesting a direct impact on gut health.
In that study, which changed the way skin wounds were observed, and was led by scientists from the University of California, San Diego, a direct link between skin damage and changes in the gut microbiome was discovered.
The body’s protective barriers, which include the skin, intestines, and lungs, rely on epithelial tissues to protect against external threats. Any violation of these barriers can cause significant consequences, as new discoveries by American scientists show.
In this pioneering experiment, scientists made small incisions in the skin of mice, monitoring the subsequent changes in their gut microbiomes. The results were surprising, because the injured mice showed a significant change in the composition of the microflora, which was characterized by an increase in harmful bacteria and a decrease in beneficial ones.
Further research, including genetic modifications in mice to simulate skin injury without physical wounds, has provided invaluable insight into the mechanism underlying the skin-gut connection. Elevated levels of enzymes associated with tissue injury mirror the effects of skin damage, exacerbating intestinal conditions such as colitis.
Of particular interest is the observation that mice with induced colitis experienced exacerbated symptoms when exposed to skin damage or enzymatic changes, highlighting the complex interrelationship between skin and gut health.
The significance of these new discoveries cannot be overstated. Previous studies have observed dysbiosis in the gut microbiome of individuals with inflammatory skin disease, and it has been hypothesized that microbes in the gut affect the skin, noted the authors of the aforementioned study, published in the journal Nature Communications.
While further human research is warranted to confirm their results, the implications are profound, offering unexpected insights into the complex relationship between skin and gut diseases.
A groundbreaking new study challenges the conventional understanding of skin and gut health and paves the way for new approaches to understanding and addressing the various health conditions at their intersection.
Source: Science Alert
