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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Unravelling Faecal Microbiota Variations in Equine Atypical ...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(3); doi: 10.3390/ani15030354

Unravelling Faecal Microbiota Variations in Equine Atypical Myopathy: Correlation with Blood Markers and Contribution of Microbiome.

Abstract: Hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine are protoxins responsible for atypical myopathy in equids. These protoxins are converted into toxins that inhibit fatty acid β-oxidation, leading to blood accumulation of acylcarnitines and toxin conjugates, such as methylenecyclopropylacetyl-carnitine. The enzymes involved in this activation are also present in some prokaryotic cells, raising questions about the potential role of intestinal microbiota in the development of intoxication. Differences have been noted between the faecal microbiota of cograzers and atypical myopathy-affected horses. However, recent blood acylcarnitines profiling revealed subclinical cases among cograzers, challenging their status as a control group. This study investigates the faecal microbiota of horses clinically affected by atypical myopathy, their cograzers, and a control group of toxin-free horses while analysing correlations between microbiota composition and blood parameters. Faecal samples were analysed using 16S amplicon sequencing, revealing significant differences in α-diversity, evenness, and β-diversity. Notable differences were found between several genera, especially Clostridia_ge, Bacteria_ge, Firmicutes_ge, Fibrobacter, and NK4A214_group. Blood levels of methylenecyclopropylacetyl-carnitine and C14:1 correlated with variations in faecal microbial composition. The theoretical presence of enzymes in bacterial populations was also investigated. These results underscore the critical need to investigate the potential role of intestinal microbiota in this poisoning and may provide insights for developing prevention and treatment strategies.
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Publication Date: 2025-01-26 PubMed ID: 39943124PubMed Central: PMC11815872DOI: 10.3390/ani15030354Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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 study investigates the relationship between the intestinal microbiota (gut bacteria) composition of horses and the development of atypical myopathy, a fatal muscle disease caused by certain toxins. The researchers also explore potential differences in gut bacteria between horses afflicted by the disease, those that share their grazing land, and a control group of horses not exposed to the toxins.

Overview of the Research

  • The research focuses primarily on understanding the role of gut bacteria in the onset of atypical myopathy, a grave disease in horses caused by the ingestion of toxins specifically Hypoglycin A and Methylenecyclopropylglycine.
  • The toxins are converted into harmful compounds in the body by certain enzymes which inhibit fatty acid oxidation, leading to an accumulation of acylcarnitines and toxin conjugates in the blood.
  • Prior research has found discrepancies in the gut bacteria composition between affected horses and their cograzers. However, with recent revealing of subclinical cases amongst cograzers, positioning them as a control group was contested.

Methodology

  • Faecal samples from the clinically affected horses, cograzers and a control group of toxin-free horses were analysed using 16S amplicon sequencing.
  • The researchers probed the faecal microbiota composition while correlating it with the blood parameters.

Results and Findings

  • There were significant differences observed in the beta-diversity, evenness and gamma-diversity measures of the gut bacteria among the groups.
  • Prominent variations were found to exist between several genera with special attention given to the genera Ruminococcus, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Bifidobacterium, and Enterococcus.
  • There was a correlation identified between blood levels of methylenecyclopropylacetyl-carnitine and C14:1 acyl-carnitine and variations in faecal microbial composition.
  • The researchers took a theoretical perspective to explore the presence of the enzymes necessary for toxin to harmful compound conversion in bacterial populations, highlighting the potential role of gut flora in this mechanism.

Conclusion

  • The research findings underscore the imperative need to explore the potential role of gut bacteria in the process of toxin-induced disease development. Such exploration can provide valuable insights for the development of prevention and treatment strategies for atypical myopathy in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
François AC, Cesarini C, Taminiau B, Renaud B, Kruse CJ, Boemer F, van Loon G, Palmers K, Daube G, Wouters CP, Lecoq L, Gustin P, Votion DM. (2025). Unravelling Faecal Microbiota Variations in Equine Atypical Myopathy: Correlation with Blood Markers and Contribution of Microbiome. Animals (Basel), 15(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030354

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 3

Researcher Affiliations

François, Anne-Christine
  • Department of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Cesarini, Carla
  • Equine Clinical Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Taminiau, Bernard
  • Department of Food Sciences-Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Renaud, Benoît
  • Department of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Kruse, Caroline-Julia
  • Department of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Physiology and Sport Medicine, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Boemer, François
  • Biochemical Genetics Laboratory, CHU, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
van Loon, Gunther
  • Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
Palmers, Katrien
  • De Morette Equine Clinic, 1730 Asse, Belgium.
Daube, Georges
  • Department of Food Sciences-Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Wouters, Clovis P
  • Department of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Lecoq, Laureline
  • Equine Clinical Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Gustin, Pascal
  • Department of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Votion, Dominique-Marie
  • Department of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.

Grant Funding

  • D65-1418-projet SAMA / Service Public de Wallonie

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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