Carbon monoxide poisoning triggers intestinal injury, inflammation, and microbiota dysbiosis that drive metabolic perturbations

Abstract

Aims

To determine whether carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) increases the long-term risk of intestinal diseases and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms through translational investigation using both population data and animal experiments.

Materials and methods

An epidemiological study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database identified 11,025 COP patients and matched controls to assess long-term intestinal disease risk. A rat COP model was used to evaluate intestinal injury, permeability, and tight junction integrity. Systemic inflammation and immune cell populations were assessed. Gastrointestinal and stress/metabolic hormones and metabolic markers were measured. Gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, with functional prediction using Tax4Fun and KEGG.

Key findings

COP increased long-term intestinal disease risk in humans. Rats showed duodenal and jejunal injury with elevated permeability and barrier disruption. Systemic inflammation (increased CX3CL1, CXCL7, IL1-α/β, CXCL5, CCL20, TIMP-1, CD54) and immune activation (increased CD86⁺ macrophages, neutrophils, CD4⁺ T cells) were observed. Hormones (decreased cholecystokinin and insulin; increased glucagon-like peptide-1, ghrelin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, cortisol) and metabolism were altered (increased glucose and lipids). Microbiota alterations, including increased Mycoplasma, Streptococcus, and Desulfovibrio, were associated not only with proinflammatory cytokine responses but also with metabolic dysregulation, including lipid imbalance and pathways linked to type II diabetes mellitus.

Significance

This study provides the first integrated clinical and experimental evidence linking COP to intestinal and metabolic dysfunction. A pathogenic axis involving gut barrier disruption, microbiota dysbiosis, and metabolic-immune imbalance may underlie COP-related chronic diseases. These findings suggest targets for early monitoring and intervention.