Fecal microbiota in horses with asthma.
Abstract: Gastrointestinal microbiota can be influenced by several factors, including diet and systemic inflammation, and in turn could act as a modulator of the allergic response. Fecal microbiota of horses with asthma has not been described. Objective: Analyze the bacterial fecal microbiota of horses with and without asthma under different environment and diet conditions, during both remission and exacerbation. Methods: Prospective observational study. Feces from 6 asthmatic and 6 healthy horses were collected under 3 different conditions: on pasture, housed indoors receiving good quality hay ("good hay"), and housed indoors receiving poor quality hay ("dusty hay"). Sequencing was performed using an Illumina MiSeq platform and data were processed using the software mothur v.1.41.3 and LEfSe. Results: In horses with asthma, low-abundance bacteria were more affected by changes in environment and diet (ie, when horses were experiencing an exacerbation), as shown by changes in membership and results from the LEfSe analysis. There was a significant increase in the relative abundance of Fibrobacter in healthy horses eating hay, a change that was not observed in horses with asthma. Conclusions: The intestinal microbiota of horses with asthma does not adapt in the same way to changes in diet and environment compared to the microbiota of healthy horses. Mechanisms explaining how airway obstruction and inflammation could influence the intestinal microbiota and how in turn this microbiota could modulate systemic inflammation in asthmatic horses deserves further investigation.
© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Publication Date: 2020-03-04 PubMed ID: 32128892PubMed Central: PMC7096608DOI: 10.1111/jvim.15748Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Observational Study
- Veterinary
Summary
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This research examines the differences in fecal microbiota of horses with asthma compared to healthy ones, under different diet and environmental conditions, indicating that asthmatic horse’s gut microbiota react differently to these changes, possibly impacting their asthma condition.
Objective and Methodology
The study took place as a prospective observational analysis. It aimed to understand the changes in fecal microbiota in horses with asthma under a variety of environments and dietary conditions. The study involved two groups:
- Six asthmatic horses
- Six healthy horses
The conditions under which samples were collected include:
- On pasture (natural outdoor environment)
- Indoors with high-quality hay
- Indoors with low-quality, dusty hay
The collected feces were analyzed using an Illumina MiSeq platform, and data were processed using mothur v.1.41.3 and LEfSe software.
Results
Researchers observed that less abundant bacteria in horses with asthma were more affected by the change in environment and diet, especially when horses experienced an exacerbation of their condition. This finding was realized through analyzing changes in microbial membership and LEfSe analysis.
One significant finding was the increased abundance of a bacteria called Fibrobacter in healthy horses consuming hay. This alteration was not observed in horses with asthma, demonstrating the different adaptive responses in intestinal microbiota between asthmatic and healthy horses to shifts in diet and environment.
Conclusion
The study concluded that the gut microbiota of horses with asthma does not adapt in the same manner to changes in diet and environment as the microbiota in healthy horses. The ramifications of this finding are potentially significant, as it implies a link between the intestinal microbiota and systemic inflammation. More precisely, factors and mechanisms explaining how airway obstruction and inflammation could influence the intestinal microbiota and reciprocally how this microbiota could affect systemic inflammation, particularly in asthmatic horses, warrant a more in-depth investigation.
Cite This Article
APA
Leclere M, Costa MC.
(2020).
Fecal microbiota in horses with asthma.
J Vet Intern Med, 34(2), 996-1006.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15748 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Clinical Sciences Department, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
- Veterinary Department of Biomedical Sciences, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Asthma / microbiology
- Asthma / veterinary
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
- Feces / microbiology
- Female
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Male
- Prospective Studies
Grant Funding
- 06090 / Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Conflict of Interest Statement
Authors declare no conflict of interest.
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