# Multiomics reveals changes in lipid metabolism in the livers of Landes geese before and after overfeeding

## TL;DR

This study shows how overfeeding affects liver lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in geese, revealing a key pathway involved in foie gras formation.

## Contribution

The study identifies the 'gut microbiota-bile acid-liver axis' as a pivotal pathway in overfeeding-induced metabolic changes in geese.

## Key findings

- Overfeeding increased liver weight and serum lipid levels with intracellular lipid droplet accumulation.
- Overfeeding altered bile acid profiles, downregulating taurine-conjugated bile acids and upregulating free bile acids.
- Gut microbial dysbiosis occurred, marked by Escherichia–Shigella enrichment and norank_o_Clostridia_UCG-014 depletion.

## Abstract

The aim of this experiment was to integrate production indices with omics sequencing to elucidate the systemic perturbations between hepatic metabolism and the gut microbiota during overfeeding.

A total of 120 seven-week-old male Landes geese were floor-reared in a pen environment. Overfeeding commenced at week 8 using a corn-based diet containing 5% soybean oil. The feeding regimen consisted of three daily meals (150–180 g/meal) initially, gradually increasing to five meals (300–500 g/meal) after two weeks, and was maintained for a total overfeeding period of four weeks.

The results demonstrated that overfeeding significantly increased liver weight and serum lipid levels, accompanied by intracellular lipid droplet accumulation. Concurrently, the downregulation of taurine-conjugated bile acids and the upregulation of free bile acids disrupted cholesterol homeostasis. Crucially, overfeeding triggered gut microbial dysbiosis characterized by Escherichia–Shigella enrichment and norank_o_Clostridia_UCG-014 depletion.

Our work demonstrated that the identification of the “gut microbiota-bile acid-liver axis” could serve as a pivotal signaling pathway driving overfeeding-induced foie gras formation while providing a theoretical foundation for overfeeding strategies to mitigate metabolic pathologies in waterfowl production.