Fig. 2: Diet and environmental factors enhance vulnerability to Giardia mediated growth faltering and gut dysfunction.
From: Giardia hinders growth by disrupting nutrient metabolism independent of inflammatory enteropathy
a Fecal EED Biomarker score in independent samples from children from Bangladesh (BGD; N = 183) and Peru (PEL; N = 145) at 15 months of age (median ± IQR, ****P < 0.0001, two-sided Mann-Whitney U-test). b Amount of total calories ingested from complimentary foods at 15 months of age. Proportion (%) of calories derived from (c), carbohydrates (d), protein and (e), fat at 15 months of age. For (b–e), data represent biological independent samples (median ± IQR), b ****P < 2.22e-16, c ****P = 1.1e-10, d ****P = 1.2e-05, e **P = 0.0023, two-sided Mann-Whitney U-tests comparing Bangladesh (N = 158) and Peru (N = 150). f Schematic of commercial G. lamblia (Giardia) H3 cysts preparation. g Timeline for specific pathogen free (SPF) mice experiment (h–k). h Enumeration of Giardia trophozoites from the upper small intestine by light microscopy (mean ± SEM; nd=none detected; *P = 0.046 for PD-Giardia vs all other groups, One-way ANOVA, Holm-Sidak’s multiple comparisons test). i Growth as a percentage of initial weight on the day of PBS or Giardia cyst (105) oral gavage challenge (day 0) (mean ± SEM; **P < 0.01 for PD Giardia vs all other groups, Two-way ANOVA, repeated measures, Bonferroni multiple comparisons test. See Source Data File for exact P-values). j Serum FITC detection (median ± IQR; **P = 0.005 PD-Giardia vs CD-Giardia and #P = 0.011 for PD-Giardia vs CD indicated groups, Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn’s multiple comparisons test; **P = 0.004 PD Giardia vs PD, two-sided Mann-Whitney U-test). k Simple linear regression of serum FITC concentration and % initial weight on day 10 (R2 = 0.294, P = 0.0062). l Timeline for germ-free (GF) mice experiment (8–13 weeks-old) (m–o). GF mice were weaned onto the PD diet and then acclimated to the SPF environment for 2 days prior to challenge. m Weight of mice on the day of Giardia 105 cyst or PBS challenge (mean ± SEM). n Growth as percent weight change from the day of challenge (mean ± SEM). o Enumeration of Giardia trophozoites from the upper small intestine by light microscopy (mean ± SEM; ***P = 0.004, Giardia vs PBS, two-sided Unpaired t-test). For h–k, and n, o, data represent 6 biologically independent animals or samples per group over each independent experiment. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
