Abstract
BackgroundClostridioides difficile is a major cause of antibiotic associated diarrhea. Several animal models are used to study C. difficile infection (CDI). The tree shrew has recently been developed as a model of primate processes. C. difficile infection has not been examined in tree shrews. We infected tree shrews with hyper-virulent C. difficile strains and examined the alterations in gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.ResultsC. difficile colonized the gastrointestinal tract of tree shrew and caused diarrhea and weight loss. Histopathologic examination indicated structures and mucosal cell destruction in ileal and colonic tissues. The gut microbial community was highly diversity before infection and was dominated by Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria. Antibiotic administration decreased the diversity of the gut microbiota and led to an outgrowth of Lactobacillus. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Enterobacteriales, Lachnospiraceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia, Blautia, and Tyzzerella increased following C. difficile infection. These taxa could be biomarkers for C. difficile colonization.ConclusionsIn general, the disease symptoms, histopathology, and gut microbiota changes following C. difficile infection in tree shrews were similar to those observed in humans.
Highlights
Clostridioides difficile is a major cause of antibiotic associated diarrhea
Use of the tree shrew as a laboratory animal has increased in recent years due to its low cost of maintenance, life span, small body size, short reproductive cycle, and close relationship to primates
We infected tree shrew with pathogenic C. difficile strains
Summary
Clostridioides difficile is a major cause of antibiotic associated diarrhea. Several animal models are used to study C. difficile infection (CDI). Gu et al BMC Microbiology (2020) 20:260 environmental surfaces in eastern China [7] This emergent strain causes severe disease, especially in elderly patients [8]. Several animal models have been used to study different aspects of CDI, including pathophysiology, colonization, transmission, recurrence, and the impact of strain variability [9]. Small animals, such as mice, hamsters, and rats, as well as larger animals, such as foals, gnotobiotic piglets, and rhesus monkeys have been used to study CDI [10]. In view of advantages of tree shrews mentioned above, we attempted to use this animal as a novel model for CDI, compared the characteristics of infection with other animals, and explored its feasibility and applicability
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