Microbial Signatures of Obesity-Aggravated Psoriasis: Insights from an Imiquimod-Based Mouse Model

As obesity and Western diet consumption are key factors contributing to gut dysbiosis, we investigated the relationship between intestinal microbiota, obesity, and psoriasis in an imiquimod-based model. C57BL/6 mice were used as follows: psoriasis-induced groups fed continuously with a standard or Western diet, psoriasis-induced group fed with a Western diet and then returned to a standard diet, and controls. For each group, clinicopathological, immune, and metabolic parameters were integrated with microbiome data. The imiquimod-based models displayed human psoriasis features and significant changes in immune parameters. Hence, psoriatic mice on prolonged high-fat intake presented decreased microbial richness and evenness and a gut microbiome composition resembling that of obese mice. <i>Ruminococcus</i>, <i>Clostridium</i>, <i>Desulfovibrio</i>, and <i>Enterorhabdus</i> were the most abundant genera in the obesity-enhanced psoriasis group. <i>Raoultella</i> abundance was linked with psoriasis. Yet, the same pathobionts over-represented in the obese psoriatic mice displayed positive correlations with metabolic stress indicators and proinflammatory factors, indicating potential biomarkers of disease severity. Conversely, <i>Lactobacillus taiwanensis</i>, <i>Alistipes putredinis</i>, and <i>Eubacterium hadrum</i> might be potential taxa for attenuating the metabolic burden in obesity-enhanced psoriasis. Here, we depict the microbial signatures associated with inflammation and metabolic stress in an obesity-aggravated psoriasis mouse model.