Investigation of effects of omeprazole on the fecal and gastric microbiota of healthy adult horses.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of oral omeprazole administration on the fecal and gastric microbiota of healthy adult horses. ANIMALS 12 healthy adult research horses. PROCEDURES Horses were randomly assigned to receive omeprazole paste (4 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h) or a sham (control) treatment (tap water [20 mL, PO, q 24 h]) for 28 days. Fecal and gastric fluid samples were collected prior to the first treatment (day 0), and on days 7, 28, 35, and 56. Sample DNA was extracted, and bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences were amplified and sequenced to characterize α and β diversity and differential expression of the fecal and gastric microbiota. Data were analyzed by visual examination and by statistical methods. RESULTS Composition and diversity of the fecal microbiota did not differ significantly between treatment groups or over time. Substantial variation in gastric fluid results within groups and over time precluded meaningful interpretation of the microbiota in those samples. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results supported that omeprazole administration had no effect on fecal microbiota composition and diversity in this group of healthy adult horses. Small sample size limited power to detect a difference if one existed; however, qualitative graphic examination supported that any difference would likely have been small and of limited clinical importance. Adequate data to evaluate potential effects on the gastric microbiota were not obtained. Investigations are needed to determine the effects of omeprazole in horses with systemic disease or horses receiving other medical treatments.
Publication Date: 2019-01-04 PubMed ID: 30605038DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.80.1.79Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Clinical Trial
- Veterinary
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research examined the effects of omeprazole on the fecal and gastric microbiota of healthy adult horses and found that it had no significant impact.
Research objective and methodology
- The researchers set out to examine the effects of oral omeprazole administration on the fecal and gastric microbiota of healthy adult horses. Omeprazole is a common medication for stomach ulcers.
- 12 healthy adult horses were randomly placed into two groups – one received omeprazole while the other was given a sham treatment for 28 days.
- Fecal and gastric fluid samples were collected at the beginning (day 0), and on days 7, 28, 35, and 56.
- The bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences in the samples were amplified and sequenced to get insights into α and β diversity and differential expression of the fecal and gastric microbiota.
Research findings
- An analysis of the collected data showed no significant difference in the composition and diversity of the fecal microbiota between the treatment groups or over time.
- The results relating to gastric fluids showed substantial variation within groups and over time. This rendered those results inconclusive.
- In essence, the omeprazole administration had negligible effect on the fecal microbiota composition and diversity in the studied group of healthy horses.
Conclusion and clinical significance
- The researchers concluded that the use of omeprazole does not significantly affect the fecal microbiota in healthy horses. However, they noted that the small sample size limited their capability to detect any differences if they existed.
- They suggested that any effect would likely be small and of limited clinical importance.
- Unfortunately, the researchers were unable to acquire sufficient data to evaluate any potential effects on the gastric microbiota.
- Future studies are needed to examine the effects of omeprazole in horses with systemic disease or those receiving other medical treatments.
Cite This Article
APA
Tyma JF, Epstein KL, Whitfield-Cargile CM, Cohen ND, Giguère S.
(2019).
Investigation of effects of omeprazole on the fecal and gastric microbiota of healthy adult horses.
Am J Vet Res, 80(1), 79-86.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.80.1.79 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Administration, Oral
- Animals
- Anti-Ulcer Agents / pharmacology
- Feces / microbiology
- Female
- Horses / microbiology
- Male
- Microbiota / drug effects
- Microbiota / genetics
- Omeprazole / pharmacology
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / analysis
- Random Allocation
- Reference Values
- Stomach / microbiology
- Treatment Outcome
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Martin de Bustamante MG, Plummer CE, Caddey B, Gomez DE. The effect of topical antibiotic or antibiotic-corticosteroid treatment on the ocular surface microbiota of healthy horses. Front Microbiol 2025;16:1535095.
- Al-Ansari AS, Duggan V, Mulcahy G, Yin X, Brennan L, Cotter PD, Patel SH, O'Donovan CM, Crispie F, Walshe N. Faecal microbiota and serum metabolome association with equine metabolic syndrome in connemara ponies. BMC Vet Res 2025 Jul 1;21(1):411.
- 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).
- Li L, Renaud DL, Goetz HM, Jessop E, Costa MC, Gamsjäger L, Gomez DE. Effect of time of sample collection after onset of diarrhea on fecal microbiota composition of calves. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jul-Aug;37(4):1588-1593.
- Vokes J, Lovett A, Sykes B. Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome: An Update on Current Knowledge. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 5;13(7).
- Gomez DE, Wong D, MacNicol J, Dembek K. The fecal bacterial microbiota of healthy and sick newborn foals. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jan;37(1):315-322.
- Gomez DE, Li L, Goetz H, MacNicol J, Gamsjaeger L, Renaud DL. Calf Diarrhea Is Associated With a Shift From Obligated to Facultative Anaerobes and Expansion of Lactate-Producing Bacteria. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:846383.
- Aleman M, Sheldon SA, Jospin G, Coil D, Stratton-Phelps M, Eisen J. Caecal microbiota in horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking. Vet Med Sci 2022 May;8(3):1049-1055.
- Freccero F, Lanci A, Mariella J, Viciani E, Quercia S, Castagnetti A, Castagnetti C. Changes in the Fecal Microbiota Associated with a Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Administration in Hospitalized Neonatal Foals with Probiotics Supplementation. Animals (Basel) 2021 Aug 2;11(8).
- Martin de Bustamante M, Plummer C, MacNicol J, Gomez D. Impact of Ambient Temperature Sample Storage on the Equine Fecal Microbiota. Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 15;11(3).
- Daniels SP, Leng J, Swann JR, Proudman CJ. Bugs and drugs: a systems biology approach to characterising the effect of moxidectin on the horse's faecal microbiome. Anim Microbiome 2020 Oct 14;2(1):38.
- Cerri S, Taminiau B, de Lusancay AH, Lecoq L, Amory H, Daube G, Cesarini C. Effect of oral administration of omeprazole on the microbiota of the gastric glandular mucosa and feces of healthy horses. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Nov;34(6):2727-2737.
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