Abstract
Parturition is a crucial event in the sow reproduction cycle, which accompanies by a series of physiological changes, including sex hormones, metabolism, and immunity. More and more studies have indicated the changes of the gut microbiota from pregnancy to parturition. However, what bacterial species and functional capacities of the gut microbiome are changed around parturition has been largely unknown, and the correlations between the changes of gut bacterial species and host metabolome were also uncovered. In this study, by combining 16S rRNA gene and shotgun metagenomic sequencing data, and the profiles of serum metabolome and fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), we investigated the changes of gut microbiome, serum metabolite features and fecal SCFAs from late pregnancy (LP) to postpartum (PO) stage. We found the significant changes of gut microbiota from LP to PO stage in both 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomic sequencing analyses. The bacterial species from Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, and Clostridium were enriched at the LP stage, while the species from Bacteroides, Escherichia, and Campylobacter had higher abundances at the PO stage. Functional capacities of the gut microbiome were also significantly changed and associated with the shifts of gut bacteria. Untargeted metabolomic analyses revealed that the metabolite features related to taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, and arginine biosynthesis and metabolism were enriched at the LP stage, and positively associated with those bacterial species enriched at the LP stage, while the metabolite features associated with vitamin B6 and glycerophospholipid metabolism had higher abundances at the PO stage and were positively correlated with the bacteria enriched at the PO stage. Six kinds of SCFAs were measured in feces samples and showed higher concentrations at the LP stage. These results suggested that the changes of gut microbiome from LP to PO stage lead to the shifts of host lipid, amino acids and vitamin metabolism and SCFA production. The results from this study provided new insights for the changes of sow gut microbiome and host metabolism around parturition, and gave new knowledge for guiding the feeding and maternal care of sows from late pregnancy to lactation in the pig industry.
Highlights
Pregnancy and parturition are two extremely important reproduction stages to sows, which accompany the changes of hormone levels, metabolism, immunity, and even gut microbiome (Newbern and Freemark, 2011; Koren et al, 2012)
According to the intervals from feces sampling to delivery, we divided all feces samples into four groups: samples collected within 1∼5 days before parturition, samples collected within 24 h before parturition, samples collected within 12 h after parturition, and samples collected within 12∼24 h after parturition
No significant shifts of the gut microbiota were identified between the samples collected within 24 h before parturition and within 1∼5 days before parturition, and between the samples harvested within 12 h and within 12∼24 h after parturition (Supplementary Figure 2)
Summary
Pregnancy and parturition are two extremely important reproduction stages to sows, which accompany the changes of hormone levels, metabolism, immunity, and even gut microbiome (Newbern and Freemark, 2011; Koren et al, 2012). Pro-inflammatory cytokines, the components of NF-κB signaling pathway, are expressed at the fetal-maternal interface during human pregnancy and labor (Lappas et al, 2002; Lappas and Rice, 2004). Many stimuli including maternal signals, intrauterine hypoxia, and intrauterine bacterial infection usually induce the activation of resident macrophages or lymphocytes within intrauterine tissues and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) or bacterial byproducts (e.g., LPS) in the amniotic fluid during labor (Romero et al, 1992; Cox et al, 1993; Baggia et al, 1996)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
