Age, sex, and mitochondrial-haplotype influence gut microbiome composition and metabolites in a genetically diverse rat model.

ABSTRACT: We evaluated the impact of sex and mitochondrial-haplotype on the age-related changes in the fecal gut microbiome of the genetically heterogeneous rodent model, the OKC-HET^B/W rat. The age-related changes in the microbiome differed markedly between male and female rats. Five microbial species changed significantly with age in male rats compared to nine microbial species in female rats. Only three of these microbes changed with age in both male and female rats. The mitochondrial-haplotype of the rats also affected how aging altered the microbiome. Interestingly, most of the microbial species that changed significantly with age were mitochondrial-haplotype and sex specific, i.e., changing in one sex and not the other. We also discovered that sex and mitochondrial-haplotype signifi

SUBMITTER: Nguyen HVM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11892925 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature