WESTERN-STYLE DIET FEEDING IN A PRIMATE MODEL OF TESTOSTERONE INDUCED POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME IS ASSOCIATED WITH MENSTRUAL CYCLE SPECIFIC ALTERATIONS TO THE GUT, VAGINAL, AND CERVICAL MICROBIOME

Abstract

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder affecting the reproductive health of women. While the underlying causal mechanisms in PCOS are not fully elucidated, elevated testosterone (T; hyperandrogenemia) and an obesogenic diet contributes to its development. Given the endogenous microbiome may modulate fertility, we hypothesized these same microbiome communities may distinctly vary in structure and function in association with different aspects of PCOS etiology. To test this hypothesis, we leveraged a nonhuman primate (NHP) model to assess the individual effects of elevated T (PCOS levels), a high-fat, Western-style diet (WSD), and the combination of T+WSD on the microbiome community structure and function in these animals relative to controls (C).