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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Effects of Intravenous Antimicrobial Drugs on the Equine Fec...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2022; 12(8); 1013; doi: 10.3390/ani12081013

Effects of Intravenous Antimicrobial Drugs on the Equine Fecal Microbiome.

Abstract: Alterations in the gastrointestinal microbiota after antimicrobial therapy in horses can result in loss of colonization resistance and changes in bacterial metabolic function. It is hypothesized that these changes facilitate gastrointestinal inflammation, pathogen expansion and the development of diarrhea. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of intravenous administration of antimicrobial drugs (ceftiofur, enrofloxacin, oxytetracycline) on equine fecal bacterial communities over time, to investigate whether those changes are detectable after 5 days of treatment and whether they persist over time (30 days). Sixteen horses were randomly assigned into 4 treatment groups: group 1 (enrofloxacin, n = 4); group 2 (ceftiofur sodium, n = 4); group 3 (oxytetracycline, n = 4); group 4 (0.9% saline solution, placebo, n = 4). Antimicrobial therapy was administered for 5 days. Fecal samples were obtained before (day 0) and at 3, 5 and 30 days of the study period. Bacterial DNA was amplified using specific primers to the hypervariable region V1−V3 of the 16S rRNA gene using a 454 FLX-Titanium pyrosequencer. Antimicrobial therapy failed to cause any changes in physical examination parameters, behavior, appetite or fecal output or consistency throughout the study in any horse. There was a significant effect of treatment on alpha diversity indices (richness) over the treatment interval for ceftiofur on days 0 vs. 3 (p 0.05). Microbial composition was significantly different (p < 0.05) across treatment group and day, but not for interactions between treatment and day, regardless of taxonomic level and beta-diversity distance metric. The most significant antimicrobial effects on relative abundance were noted after intravenous administration of ceftiofur and enrofloxacin. The relative abundance of Fibrobacteres was markedly lower on day 3 compared to other days in the ceftiofur and enrofloxacin treatment groups. There was an increase in Clostridia and Lachnospiraceae from day 0 to days 3 and 5 in ceftiofur and enrofloxacin treated groups. These findings showed the negative effect of antimicrobial drugs on bacterial communities associated with gut health (Fibrobacteres and Lachnospiraceae) and indicate that changes in specific taxa could predispose horses to gastrointestinal inflammation and the development of diarrhea.
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Publication Date: 2022-04-13 PubMed ID: 35454258PubMed Central: PMC9030835DOI: 10.3390/ani12081013Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research explores the impact of intravenous antimicrobial drugs on the gut microbiome of horses with a particular focus on the organisms’ potential to trigger gut inflammation and diarrhea. The study monitored horses after administering three different antimicrobial drugs to gather evidence of microbial community changes over a period of 30 days.

Research Design and Methods

  • The study involved 16 horses divided into four groups, each subject to a different treatment. Group 1 was given enrofloxacin, Group 2 received ceftiofur sodium, Group 3 was treated with oxytetracycline, and Group 4 functioned as the control group, receiving only a saline solution.
  • The therapy period lasted for five days during which each horse’s health was monitored regularly with particular attention paid to changes in behavior, appetite, or fecal output and consistency.
  • Fecal samples from each horse were collected at several intervals: before the study commenced (Day 0), and then at Day 3, Day 5, and Day 30 of the study period. Bacterial DNA from these samples was then amplified for analysis.

Results of the Study

  • The researchers found that there were no significant clinical changes in the horses due to the antimicrobial therapy. However, bacterial diversity indices changed significantly over the treatment period for horses treated with ceftiofur.
  • The microbial compositions varied significantly across different treatment groups and days, but there was no interaction observed between treatment and day. The notable effects on relative abundance were seen in the horses treated with ceftiofur and enrofloxacin.
  • On day 3, there was a marked decrease in Fibrobacteres in the ceftiofur and enrofloxacin groups as compared to the other days. There was also a significant increase in Clostridia and Lachnospiraceae after ceftiofur and enrofloxacin treatment on days 3 and 5, compared to day 0.

These observations indicate that the antimicrobial drugs had an impact on the equine gut microbiota, particularly reducing microbes that are usually associated with a healthy gut. The research suggests that any alterations in the gut microbiome due to antimicrobial treatment could potentially predispose horses to gut inflammation and diarrhea.

Implications of the Findings

  • These findings highlight the importance of further research into the effects of antimicrobial drugs on the gut microbiota across different species. Such studies could help identify ways to mitigate any negative impacts on gut health caused by such treatments.
  • Insights from this study could inform therapeutic strategies for the treatment of horses and other animals with antimicrobial drugs. Considering these impacts could help improve long-term animal health and welfare.

Cite This Article

APA
Liepman RS, Swink JM, Habing GG, Boyaka PN, Caddey B, Costa M, Gomez DE, Toribio RE. (2022). Effects of Intravenous Antimicrobial Drugs on the Equine Fecal Microbiome. Animals (Basel), 12(8), 1013. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12081013

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 8
PII: 1013

Researcher Affiliations

Liepman, Rachel S
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Swink, Jacob M
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Habing, Greg G
  • Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Boyaka, Prosper N
  • Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Caddey, Benjamin
  • Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
Costa, Marcio
  • Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, University of Montreal, Saint Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
Gomez, Diego E
  • Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Toribio, Ramiro E
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

Grant Funding

  • 60048069 / Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Tyrnenopoulou P, Fthenakis GC. Clinical Aspects of Bacterial Distribution and Antibiotic Resistance in the Reproductive System of Equids.. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023 Mar 28;12(4).
    doi: 10.3390/antibiotics12040664pubmed: 37107026google scholar: lookup
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