Differential Susceptibility of the Gut Microbiota to DSS Treatment Interferes in the Conserved Microbiome Association in Mouse Models of Colitis and Is Related to the Initial Gut Microbiota Difference

Abstract

Dysbiosis is a well-known factor in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the discovery of a conserved microbiome association in colitis is largely unknown. The study’s goal was to look into a core microbiome linked to DSS-induced colitis in mice, which could aid in the development of microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutics. The dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced acute colitis model was established in mice in a controlled experimental setting, and the gut microbial community analysis from fecal samples was carried out on the Illumina MiSeq platform using the 16S rRNA gene. The findings revealed that the gut microbiota’s overall structure had changed dramatically in mice with DSS-induced colitis. However, this change was not consistent across all groups, as evidenced by the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) score, which revealed that all DSS-treated groups D, M, TA, TC, and TH had different associated microbes as highly abundant taxa during the colitis period. Moreover, groups D and TA had more severe colitis pathology than the other groups. Finally, we discovered significant structural and compositional differences in the initial gut microbiota among DSS-treated groups, which could explain why each group’s associated microbiota pattern differed during colitis. In conclusion, the results showed that the gut microbiota alteration that occurred in DSS colitis is not confined to a specific core microbiome but varies concerning the group or individual animals’ initial gut microbiota structure and composition.