Abstract
Sow mortality attributable to pelvic organ prolapse (POP) has increased in the U.S. swine industry and continues to worsen. Two main objectives of this study were, (1) to develop a perineal scoring system that can be correlated with POP risk, and (2) identify POP risk-associated biological factors. To assess POP risk during late gestation, sows (n = 213) were scored using a newly developed perineal scoring (PS) system. Sows scored as PS1 (low), PS2 (moderate), or PS3 (high) based on POP risk. Subsequently, 1.5, 0.8, and 23.1% of sows scored PS1, PS2, or PS3, respectively, experienced POP. To identify biomarkers, serum and vaginal swabs were collected from late gestation sows differing in PS. Using GC–MS, 82 serum metabolite differences between PS1 and PS3 animals (P < 0.05) were identified. Vaginal swabs were utilized for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and differences in vaginal microbiomes between PS1 and PS3 animals were detected on a community level (P < 0.01) along with differences in abundances of 89 operational taxonomic units (P < 0.05). Collectively, these data demonstrate that sows with greater POP risk have differential serum metabolites and vaginal microflora. Additionally, an initial and novel characterization of the sow vaginal microbiome was determined.
Highlights
Sow mortality attributable to pelvic organ prolapse (POP) has increased in the U.S swine industry and continues to worsen
Of 6437 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) obtained from 42 samples (23 PS1 and 19 PS3), A total of 1711 OTUs remained after quality control and removal of OTUs representing less than ten sequences
This is considerably higher than other livestock species, such as the bovine, which experiences less than 1%13
Summary
Sow mortality attributable to pelvic organ prolapse (POP) has increased in the U.S swine industry and continues to worsen. Vaginal swabs were utilized for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and differences in vaginal microbiomes between PS1 and PS3 animals were detected on a community level (P < 0.01) along with differences in abundances of 89 operational taxonomic units (P < 0.05) These data demonstrate that sows with greater POP risk have differential serum metabolites and vaginal microflora. The objective of this study was to develop a perineal scoring system to evaluate risk of POP of sows during late gestation and assess differences in vaginal microbial populations and molecular features associated with POP risk to serve as potential biomarkers to Scientific Reports | (2021) 11:6189. Better understand biological alterations associated with POP The hypothesis that both the vaginal microbiome and serum small-molecule repertoires would differ between sows with differing risk of POP was tested in late gestation sows
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
