Streptozotocin‐induced type‐1‐diabetes disease onset in rats is associated with altered intestinal microbiota composition coupled with decreased diversity (637.10)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of streptozotocin (STZ) induced type‐1‐diabetes (T1D) onset on intestinal microbiota composition in Sprague‐Dawley rats compared with healthy control animals over time. The data revealed that while intestinal microbiota composition between the groups was similar at week 0 (before STZ injection), a dramatic impact of T1D development and progression was apparent following STZ injection up to 5 weeks. Most notably, T1D onset was associated with a shift in the Bacteroidetes: Firmicutes ratio (P < 0.05), while at the genus level, increases in lactate producing bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were associated with the later stages of diabetes progression (P < 0.05). T1D onset was also associated with reduced intestinal microbiota diversity (P < 0.05). Principle coordinates analysis (PCoA) demonstrated temporal clustering in T1D and control groups over time with separation of the T1D clusters at each time point from the healthy control animals. The results provide a comprehensive account of how T1D onset is associated with progressively altered intestinal microbiota composition and reduced microbial diversity was seen with disease progression over time following T1D induction.Grant Funding Source: Supported by Science Foundation of Ireland – funded Centre for Science, Engineering and Technology,