Dataset Information

Effects of a synbiotic on fecal quality, short-chain fatty acid concentrations, and the microbiome of healthy sled dogs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Sled dogs commonly suffer from diarrhea. Although multiple etiologies exist there are limited field studies using synbiotics as a supplement to prevent or treat diarrhea. The objective of this study was to examine alterations in fecal quality, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), and the fecal microbiome in two groups of training sled dogs fed a synbiotic or microcrystalline cellulose placebo. Twenty clinically healthy training sled dogs randomized into two cohorts (9 synbiotic-fed, 8 placebo-fed) for a 6 week prospective study were examined. Fecal pH and fecal short chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations were measured and tag-encoded FLX 16S rDNA amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP) and quantitative real-time PCR were performed at baseline (10 d prior to the study) and after 2 weeks of treatment with a total treatment time of 6 weeks. Fecal scores for all dogs were assessed at baseline and every day for 6 wk after initiation of treatment.

Results

Alterations in the fecal microbiome were observed with a significant rise in Lactobacillaceae in the synbiotic group (P?=?0.004) after 2 wk of treatment. A positive correlation was found between Lactobacillaceae and overall butyrate concentration (R?=?0.62, p?=?0.011) in all dogs. After 5 wk of treatment, there was an improved fecal score and fewer days of diarrhea (?2?=?5.482, P?=?0.019) in the dogs given synbiotic, which coincided with a presumed contagious outbreak shared by all dogs in the study.

Conclusions

Use of this synbiotic results in an increase in presumed beneficial bacterial flora of the host colon which was associated with a decrease in the prevalence of diarrhea in training sled dogs.

SUBMITTER: Gagne JW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4029452 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Effects of a synbiotic on fecal quality, short-chain fatty acid concentrations, and the microbiome of healthy sled dogs.

Gagné Jason W JW Wakshlag Joseph J JJ Simpson Kenneth W KW Dowd Scot E SE Latchman Shalini S Brown Dawn A DA Brown Kit K Swanson Kelly S KS Fahey George C GC

BMC veterinary research 20131205

<h4>Background</h4>Sled dogs commonly suffer from diarrhea. Although multiple etiologies exist there are limited field studies using synbiotics as a supplement to prevent or treat diarrhea. The objective of this study was to examine alterations in fecal quality, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), and the fecal microbiome in two groups of training sled dogs fed a synbiotic or microcrystalline cellulose placebo. Twenty clinically healthy training sled dogs randomized into two cohorts (9 synbiotic-fed ...[more]

PMID: 24313995

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Project description:The relationship between the gut microbiota, short chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolism, and obesity remains unclear due to conflicting reports from studies with limited statistical power. Additionally, this association has rarely been explored in large scale diverse populations. Here, we investigated associations between fecal microbial composition, predicted metabolic potential, SCFA concentrations, and obesity in a large ( N = 1,934) adult cohort of African-origin spanning the epidemiologic transition, from Ghana, South Africa, Jamaica, Seychelles, and the United States (US). The greatest gut microbiota diversity and total fecal SCFA concentration was found in the Ghanaian population, while the lowest levels were found in the US population, respectively representing the lowest and the highest end of the epidemiologic transition spectrum. Country-specific bacterial taxa and predicted-functional pathways were observed, including an increased prevalence of Prevotella , Butyrivibrio , Weisella and Romboutsia in Ghana and South Africa, while Bacteroides and Parabacteroides were enriched in Jamaican and the US populations. Importantly, 'VANISH' taxa, including Butyricicoccus and Succinivibrio , were significantly enriched in the Ghanaian cohort, reflecting the participants' traditional lifestyles. Obesity was significantly associated with lower SCFA concentrations, a decrease in microbial richness, and dissimilarities in community composition, and reduction in the proportion of SCFA synthesizing bacteria including Oscillospira , Christensenella , Eubacterium , Alistipes , Clostridium and Odoribacter . Further, the predicted proportions of genes in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis pathway were enriched in obese individuals, while genes associated with butyrate synthesis via the dominant pyruvate pathway were significantly reduced in obese individuals. Using machine learning, we identified features predictive of metabolic state and country of origin. Country of origin could accurately be predicted by the fecal microbiota (AUC = 0.97), whereas obesity could not be predicted as accurately (AUC = 0.65). Participant sex (AUC = 0.75), diabetes status (AUC = 0.63), hypertensive status (AUC = 0.65), and glucose status (AUC = 0.66) could all be predicted with different success. Interestingly, within country, the predictive accuracy of the microbiota for obesity was inversely correlated to the epidemiological transition, being greatest in Ghana (AUC = 0.57). Collectively, our findings reveal profound variation in the gut microbiota, inferred functional pathways, and SCFA synthesis as a function of country of origin. While obesity could be predicted accurately from the microbiota, the variation in accuracy in parallel with the epidemiological transition suggests that differences in the microbiota between obesity and non-obesity may be larger in low-to-middle countries compared to high-income countries. Further examination of independent study populations using multi-omic approaches will be necessary to determine the factors that drive this association.

Dataset Information

Effects of a synbiotic on fecal quality, short-chain fatty acid concentrations, and the microbiome of healthy sled dogs.

Background

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Effects of a synbiotic on fecal quality, short-chain fatty acid concentrations, and the microbiome of healthy sled dogs.

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