Effects of total abdominal irradiation on gut microbiota and metabolome during acute tissue injury

Overall, these data indicate that radiation exposure disrupts both the gut microbiota and metabolome during the acute injury phase, reducing beneficial bacteria such as <i>f_Ruminococcaceae</i> and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> while promoting the proliferation of harmful bacteria such as <i>g_Escherichia-Shigella</i>, which in turn triggers an inflammatory metabolic cascade. Early restoration of a normal gut microbiota could be one of the potential steps to mitigate the radiation effect based on prior literature. These findings provide a scientific basis for future research into microbiota- and metabolome-targeted therapies aimed at mitigating radiation-induced intestinal toxicity.