Gibel carp Carassius auratus gut microbiota after oral administration of trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole

Abstract

Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole is widely used in the treatment of infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens in aquaculture. However, the practice of antibiotic administration can promote the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria and result in a wane in efficacy over time. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of oral treatment with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole on the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota of healthy gibel carp and those affected with bacterial enteritis. By using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), the changes in the predominant bacterial communities were directly depicted for the first time. The main findings were (1) Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the predominant phyla in the healthy gibel carp intestine; (2) administration of antibiotics had a more profound impact on the intestinal microflora of healthy fish than of the diseased ones; and (3) Enterobacteriaceae might be one of the major drug-resistant bacteria in the gibel carp intestine. This study provides an insight into the effect of antibiotic treatment on the establishment and colonization of fish GI microbiota and speculates on some possible drug-resistant bacteria.