The Gut-Lung Axis: What's below the Diaphragm Is Also Important

Hung and Matute-Bello discuss the report by Zhang et al on the role of the gut-lung axis in a murine model of zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnONP)-induced lung injury. They show that intratracheal administration of ZnONP was followed by the development of acute lung injury (ALI) and that depletion of gut microbiota with enteral antibiotics before ZnONP exposure increased the severity of the injury. Intriguingly, restoration of the microbiota in antibiotic-treated mice by fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) attenuated ZnONP-ALI, providing evidence that the gut-lung axis may play a critical role in ZnONP-induced lung inflammation. The study adds novel insights to an ever-growing body of literature around the gut-lung axis, highlighting the importance of the gut in lung health.