Upper and lower respiratory tract microbiota in horses: bacterial communities associated with health and mild asthma (inflammatory airway disease) and effects of dexamethasone.
Abstract: The microbial composition of the equine respiratory tract, and differences due to mild equine asthma (also called Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD)) have not been reported. The primary treatment for control of IAD in horses are corticosteroids. The objectives were to characterize the upper and lower respiratory tract microbiota associated with respiratory health and IAD, and to investigate the effects of dexamethasone on these bacterial communities using high throughput sequencing. Results: The respiratory microbiota of horses was dominated by four major phyla, Proteobacteria (43.85%), Actinobacteria (21.63%), Firmicutes (16.82%), and Bacteroidetes (13.24%). Fifty genera had a relative abundance > 0.1%, with Sphingomonas and Pantoea being the most abundant. The upper and lower respiratory tract microbiota differed in healthy horses, with a decrease in richness in the lower airways, and 2 OTUs that differed in abundance. There was a separation between bacterial communities in the lower respiratory tract of healthy and IAD horses; 6 OTUs in the tracheal community had different abundance with disease status, with Streptococcus being increased in IAD horses. Treatment with dexamethasone had an effect on the lower respiratory tract microbiota of both heathy and IAD horses, with 8 OTUs increasing in abundance (including Streptococcus) and 1 OTU decreasing. Conclusions: The lower respiratory tract microbiota differed between healthy and IAD horses. Further research on the role of Streptococcus in IAD is warranted. Dexamethasone treatment affected the lower respiratory tract microbiota, which suggests that control of bacterial overgrowth in IAD horses treated with dexamethasone could be part of the treatment strategy.
Publication Date: 2017-08-23 PubMed ID: 28835202PubMed Central: PMC5569571DOI: 10.1186/s12866-017-1092-5Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research investigates the bacteria present in the respiratory tract of horses, noting the differences in healthy horses and those with mild asthma, and explores how treatment with the drug dexamethasone alters these bacterial communities.
Overview of the Research
- The study was designed to understand the composition of bacteria, or microbiota, in the upper and lower respiratory tracts of horses and how these are influenced by health status and treatment with dexamethasone, a corticosteroid commonly used to treat Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD), which is a form of mild equine asthma.
Key Findings of the Research
- Four major bacterial phyla were found dominant in the horse respiratory microbiota: Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes, with fifty genera having a relative abundance of over 0.1%. The two most abundant were Sphingomonas and Pantoea.
- The bacterial composition was found to vary between the upper and lower respiratory tracts in healthy horses, with lower richness observed in the lower airways, and difference in abundance of 2 operational taxonomic units (OTUs).
- When considering horses with IAD, a clear distinction was observed in the bacterial communities in the lower respiratory tract when compared to healthy horses. Specifically, 6 OTUs in the tracheal community varied in abundance, and Streptococcus was found to increase in IAD horses.
- The use of dexamethasone impacted the lower respiratory tract microbiota in both healthy and IAD horses, resulting in an increase in abundance of 8 OTUs (including Streptococcus) and a decrease of 1 OTU.
Implications of the Research
- The study identifies notable differences in the lower respiratory tract microbiota between healthy horses and those with IAD, suggesting that certain bacteria may play a role in the disease. In particular, the research highlights the need for further investigation into the role of Streptococcus, which was found in greater abundance in IAD horses.
- The findings also demonstrate that dexamethasone treatment affects the bacterial communities in the lower respiratory tract, which suggests that controlling bacterial overgrowth in IAD horses treated with dexamethasone may be a useful part of treatment strategies.
Cite This Article
APA
Bond SL, Timsit E, Workentine M, Alexander T, Léguillette R.
(2017).
Upper and lower respiratory tract microbiota in horses: bacterial communities associated with health and mild asthma (inflammatory airway disease) and effects of dexamethasone.
BMC Microbiol, 17(1), 184.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-017-1092-5 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. eftimsit@ucalgary.ca.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. rleguill@ucalgary.ca.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Asthma / drug therapy
- Asthma / microbiology
- Asthma / veterinary
- Bacteria / classification
- Bacteria / drug effects
- Bacteria / isolation & purification
- Bacteria / pathogenicity
- Biodiversity
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / immunology
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / microbiology
- DNA, Bacterial
- Dexamethasone / pharmacology
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses / microbiology
- Inflammation / drug therapy
- Inflammation / microbiology
- Metagenomics
- Microbial Consortia / drug effects
- Microbiota / drug effects
- Respiratory System / immunology
- Respiratory System / microbiology
Conflict of Interest Statement
ETHICS APPROVAL AND CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE: This study was conducted in strict accordance with the recommendations of the Canadian Council of Animal Care. This research protocol was reviewed and approved by the University of Calgary Veterinary Sciences Animal Care Committee (ACC17-0036) and a consent form was signed by the owner of the horses. CONSENT FOR PUBLICATION: Not applicable. COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors declare they have no competing interests. PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
References
This article includes 43 references
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