Abstract
Background and aimsFecal microbial transplantation (FMT), a treatment for certain gastrointestinal conditions associated with dysbiosis in people, is also empirically employed in horses with colitis. This study used microbiota high-throughput sequencing to compare the fecal microbial profile of healthy horses to that of geriatric microbial transplant recipients experiencing diarrhea and tested whether FMT restores microbiota diversity.MethodsTo evaluate the effect of environment and donor characteristics on the intestinal microbiota, fecal samples were collected per rectum from 15 healthy young-adult (2–12 years) and 15 geriatric (≥20 years) horses. Additionally, FMT was performed for 3 consecutive days in 5 geriatric horses with diarrhea using feces from the same healthy donor. Fecal samples were collected from both donor and recipient prior to each FMT and from recipients 24 hours following the last FMT. The profile of the fecal bacterial microbiota was compared using 16S amplicon sequencing.Results and conclusionsIn contrast to diet and farm location, age did not significantly affect the healthy equine fecal microbiota, indicating that both healthy geriatric and young-adult horses may serve as FMT donors. The fecal microbiota of horses with diarrhea was significantly more variable in terms of β-diversity than that of healthy horses. An inverse correlation between diarrhea score and relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia was identified in surviving FMT recipients. At study completion, the fecal microbiota of horses which responded to FMT had a higher α-diversity than prior to treatment and was phylogenetically more similar to that of the donor.
Highlights
Intestinal microbiome imbalance, or dysbiosis, is a key factor in the development of diarrhea and equine colitis, which remains a leading cause of critical illness in horses, with an estimated disease fatality of 25.4% to 35%.[1, 2] Antibiotic therapy is often ineffectual and even worsens diarrheal disease by destroying beneficial commensal bacteria in the gut and allowing pathogenic species to expand
An inverse correlation between diarrhea score and relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia was identified in surviving fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) recipients
Re-establishing a healthy gut microbiome in horses with colitis is considered essential to digestion, is expected to act as a bulwark against pathogenic bacteria and may stimulate the development of a robust and effective immune system to counteract infection
Summary
Intestinal microbiome imbalance, or dysbiosis, is a key factor in the development of diarrhea and equine colitis, which remains a leading cause of critical illness in horses, with an estimated disease fatality of 25.4% to 35%.[1, 2] Antibiotic therapy is often ineffectual and even worsens diarrheal disease by destroying beneficial commensal bacteria in the gut and allowing pathogenic species to expand. The specific cause of colitis remains unknown in more than 50% of cases; in addition to bacterial and viral infections, disruption of the delicate microbial balance of the gut (dysbiosis) may result in colitis and may further diminish resistance to enteric pathogens.[3] Emerging data suggest that fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) may be efficacious in restoring normalcy to the gut.[4] FMT constitutes the transfer of a suspension of fecal microorganisms from a healthy donor horse into the intestinal tract of the recipient horse in order to treat a specific disease associated with intestinal microbiome imbalance.[5] It may represent a novel, cost-effective therapy to successfully restore gut function in horses with colitis and diarrhea. This study used microbiota high-throughput sequencing to compare the fecal microbial profile of healthy horses to that of geriatric microbial transplant recipients experiencing diarrhea and tested whether FMT restores microbiota diversity
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