Diversity of the Gastric Microbiota in Thoroughbred Racehorses Having Gastric Ulcer.
Abstract: Equine gastric ulcer syndrome is one of the most frequently reported diseases in thoroughbred racehorses. Although several risk factors for the development of gastric ulcers have been widely studied, investigation of microbiological factors has been limited. In this study, the presence of Helicobacter spp. and the gastric microbial communities of thoroughbred racehorses having mild to severe gastric ulcers were investigated. Although Helicobacter spp. were not detected using culture and PCR techniques from 52 gastric biopsies and 52 fecal samples, the genomic sequences of H. pylori and H. ganmani were detected using nextgeneration sequencing techniques from 2 out of 10 representative gastric samples. The gastric microbiota of horses was mainly composed of Firmicutes (50.0%), Proteobacteria (18.7%), Bacteroidetes (14.4%), and Actinobacteria (9.7%), but the proportion of each phylum varied among samples. There was no major difference in microbial composition among samples having mild to severe gastric ulcers. Using phylogenetic analysis, three distinct clusters were observed, and one cluster differed from the other two clusters in the frequency of feeding, amount of water consumption, and type of bedding. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the gastric microbiota of thoroughbred racehorses having gastric ulcer and to evaluate the microbial diversity in relation to the severity of gastric ulcer and management factors. This study is important for further exploration of the gastric microbiota in racehorses and is ultimately applicable to improving animal and human health.
Publication Date: 2016-01-27 PubMed ID: 26809803DOI: 10.4014/jmb.1507.07054Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This study focuses on analyzing the diversity of gastric microbiota in racehorses experiencing varying degrees of gastric ulcers. Despite understanding several risk factors that may trigger these ulcers, microbiological factors remain largely unexplored, making this research critical for both improving the health of racehorses and potentially benefiting human health.
Research Background and Purpose
- The study aimed to expand upon the limited amount of research regarding the role microbiological factors play in the development of gastric ulcers among thoroughbred racehorses.
- The main focus was to investigate the presence of Helicobacter spp., as well as the gastric microbial communities present within these horses.
Research Methods
- Culture and PCR techniques were used to detect the presence of Helicobacter spp. in both gastric biopsy and fecal samples from the horses.
- Next-generation sequencing techniques were employed to identify genomic sequences of H. pylori and H. ganmani in ten representative gastric samples.
- The gastric microbiota was analyzed to establish the main consisting phyla and how each varied among different samples.
Research Findings
- The study established that Helicobacter spp. were not found using traditional culture and PCR techniques, but genomic sequences of H. pylori and H. ganmani were identified using more advanced techniques in a few samples.
- The horse’s gastric microbiota was largely composed of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, but proportions varied among the samples.
- No significant difference in microbial composition was found amongst samples from horses with mild to severe gastric ulcers.
- Phylogenetic analysis revealed three distinct clusters of gastric microbes. One cluster was markedly different from the others in terms of feeding frequency, water consumption, and type of bedding used.
Significance of the Study
- This is the first study of its kind to investigate the gastric microbiota of thoroughbred racehorses experiencing gastric ulcers and evaluating microbial diversity in relation to ulcer severity and management factors.
- The study paves the way for further exploration of the gastric microbiota in racehorses, potentially leading to improved health practices.
- Findings from this research could potentially be applied to human health in the future.
Cite This Article
APA
Dong HJ, Ho H, Hwang H, Kim Y, Han J, Lee I, Cho S.
(2016).
Diversity of the Gastric Microbiota in Thoroughbred Racehorses Having Gastric Ulcer.
J Microbiol Biotechnol, 26(4), 763-774.
https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.1507.07054 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and Preventive Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and Preventive Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and Preventive Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bacteroides / genetics
- Bacteroides / isolation & purification
- Biopsy
- Colony Count, Microbial
- Feces / microbiology
- Firmicutes / genetics
- Firmicutes / isolation & purification
- Helicobacter Infections / microbiology
- Helicobacter Infections / veterinary
- Helicobacter pylori / genetics
- Helicobacter pylori / isolation & purification
- High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses / microbiology
- Humans
- Microbiota / genetics
- Phylogeny
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Stomach / microbiology
- Stomach / pathology
- Stomach Ulcer / epidemiology
- Stomach Ulcer / microbiology
- Stomach Ulcer / pathology
- Stomach Ulcer / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Aydin E, Cetinkaya S, Sezgin AK, Gunduz MK, Açikgoz B, Simsek S, Kaymak G. Antibacterial and immuno-oxidative effects of Melittin against Helicobacter pylori: in vitro and in vivo evidence. Mol Biol Rep 2025 Dec 5;53(1):164.
- Zhou K, Dong Z, Zhou X, Zhai B, Li B, Zhang J, Cheng F. The Prevalence of Gastric Ulcer Syndrome in 395 Horses in Jiangyin City, China, Jiangsu Province. Animals (Basel) 2024 Dec 17;14(24).
- Bishop RC, Kemper AM, Clark LV, Wilkins PA, McCoy AM. Stability of Gastric Fluid and Fecal Microbial Populations in Healthy Horses under Pasture and Stable Conditions. Animals (Basel) 2024 Oct 16;14(20).
- Paul LJ, Ericsson AC, Andrews FM, McAdams Z, Keowen ML, St Blanc MP, Banse HE. Field study examining the mucosal microbiome in equine glandular gastric disease. PLoS One 2023;18(12):e0295697.
- Julliand S, Buttet M, Hermange T, Hillon P, Julliand V. Effect of diet composition on glandular gastric disease in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jul-Aug;37(4):1528-1536.
- Vokes J, Lovett A, Sykes B. Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome: An Update on Current Knowledge. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 5;13(7).
- Chaucheyras-Durand F, Sacy A, Karges K, Apper E. Gastro-Intestinal Microbiota in Equines and Its Role in Health and Disease: The Black Box Opens. Microorganisms 2022 Dec 19;10(12).
- Fernandes KA, Rogers CW, Gee EK, Kittelmann S, Bolwell CF, Bermingham EN, Biggs PJ, Thomas DG. Resilience of Faecal Microbiota in Stabled Thoroughbred Horses Following Abrupt Dietary Transition between Freshly Cut Pasture and Three Forage-Based Diets. Animals (Basel) 2021 Sep 6;11(9).
- Paul LJ, Ericsson AC, Andrews FM, Keowen ML, Morales Yniguez F, Garza F Jr, Banse HE. Gastric microbiome in horses with and without equine glandular gastric disease. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Sep;35(5):2458-2464.
- Padalino B, Davis GL, Raidal SL. Effects of transportation on gastric pH and gastric ulceration in mares. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Mar;34(2):922-932.
- He QD, Huang MS, Zhang LB, Shen JC, Lian LY, Zhang Y, Chen BH, Liu CC, Qian LC, Liu M, Yang ZB. Effect of Moxibustion on Intestinal Microbiome in Acute Gastric Ulcer Rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2019;2019:6184205.
- Banse HE, Andrews FM. Equine glandular gastric disease: prevalence, impact and management strategies. Vet Med (Auckl) 2019;10:69-76.
- Tesena P, Korchunjit W, Taylor J, Wongtawan T. Comparison of commercial RNA extraction kits and qPCR master mixes for studying gene expression in small biopsy tissue samples from the equine gastric epithelium. J Equine Sci 2017;28(4):135-141.
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