Homeostasis of the Intestinal Mucosa in Healthy Horses-Correlation between the Fecal Microbiome, Secretory Immunoglobulin A and Fecal Egg Count.
Abstract: The defensive function of the intestinal mucosa depends both on the ability to secrete immunoglobulin A and communication with the mucus microbiome. In horses, the functioning of this system is also influenced by the presence of nematode eggs. Feces collected from healthy horses were examined to determine the fecal egg count, immunoglobulin A level (ELISA), microbiome composition (Next-Generation Sequencing, NGS, V3−V4 and V7−V9 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene analysis and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production ((high-performance liquid chromatography, HPLC). In the taxonomic analysis within the phylum, the following order of dominance was found: Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Verrucomicrobiota and Fibrobacterota. The coefficient of phylogenetic diversity of the microbiome positively correlated with both secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) [μg/g of feces] (p = 0.0354, r = 0.61) and SIgA [μg/mg of fecal protein] (p = 0.0382, r = 0.6) and with the number of Cyathostomum eggs (p = 0.0023, r = 0.79). Important components of the key microbiome in horses, such as phylum Proteobacteria and species Ruminococcus flavefaciens, were positively correlated with the fecal SIgA (p < 0.05). All the obtained results indicate the existence of significant relationships between the host response (SIgA production) and composition and SCFA production in the microbiome as well as the presence of small strongyles in the digestive tract of horses.
Publication Date: 2022-11-10 PubMed ID: 36428322PubMed Central: PMC9687066DOI: 10.3390/ani12223094Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research examined the relationship between the fecal microbiome, immunoglobulin A and nematode egg presence in the intestinal health of horses. It suggested a significant interplay between these factors, all combining to form the basis of the intestinal defense system in horses.
Objectives and methodology of the research:
- The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the defensive function of the intestinal mucosa in healthy horses, specifically the secretion of Immunoglobulin A (IgA), the fecal microbiome, and the presence of nematode eggs.
- Feces from healthy horses were analyzed to study these aspects. The analysis included determining the fecal egg count, the immunoglobulin A (IgA) level via ELISA, and the microbiome composition using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS).
- Further, the researchers used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for studying the production of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), which is a crucial part of the gut biome.
Findings from the taxonomic analysis:
- The taxonomic analysis of the dominant phylum in the feces showed the order Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Verrucomicrobiota, and Fibrobacterota.
- The research found that the phylogenetic diversity of the microbiome showed positive correlations with both the secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and the number of Cyathostomum eggs. This implies that the diversity of bacteria present in the feces reflects the level of SIgA and nematode eggs.
- Some essential components of the horse’s microbiome such as phylum Proteobacteria and species Ruminococcus flavefaciens were found to positively correlate with the fecal SIgA, suggesting their potential influence on the horse’s immune response.
Conclusions drawn from the research:
- All the resulting data pointed to the critical relationships existing between the host’s immune response (SIgA production) and the composition and SCFA production in the microbiome, as well as the presence of small strongyles (a type of nematode or round worms) in the horse’s digestive tract.
- This implies that the maintenance of a healthy horse’s intestinal environment relies on the complex interplay of the microbiome, the immune response (SIgA production in this case), and nematode infestation.
- The research, though focused on horses, could have broader implications in understanding similar dynamics in other animals, possibly even in humans.
Cite This Article
APA
Żak-Bochenek A, Bajzert J, Sambor D, Siwińska N, Szponar B, Łaczmański Ł, Żebrowska P, Czajkowska A, Karczewski M, Chełmońska-Soyta A.
(2022).
Homeostasis of the Intestinal Mucosa in Healthy Horses-Correlation between the Fecal Microbiome, Secretory Immunoglobulin A and Fecal Egg Count.
Animals (Basel), 12(22), 3094.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12223094 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Immunology, Pathophysiology and Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. Norwida 31, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland.
- Department of Immunology, Pathophysiology and Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. Norwida 31, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland.
- Department of Immunology, Pathophysiology and Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. Norwida 31, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland.
- Department of Internal Diseases and Clinic of Diseases of Horses, Dogs and Cats, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. Norwida 31, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland.
- Laboratory of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland.
- Laboratory of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland.
- Laboratory of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland.
- Laboratory of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland.
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Geodesy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. Norwida 31, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland.
- Department of Immunology, Pathophysiology and Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. Norwida 31, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Żak-Bochenek A, Drábková Z, Sergedaite V, Siwińska N, Bajzert J, Pasak D, Chełmońska-Soyta A. Fecal Secretory Immunoglobulin A and Lactate Level as a Biomarker of Mucosal Immune Dysfunction in Horses With Colic. J Vet Intern Med 2025 May-Jun;39(3):e70073.
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