Integrative metagenomics and metabolomics reveal age-associated gut microbiota and metabolite alterations in a hamster model of COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: Aging is a key contributor of morbidity and mortality during acute viral pneumonia. The potential role of age-associated dysbiosis on disease outcomes is still elusive. In the current study, we used high-resolution shotgun metagenomics and targeted metabolomics to characterize SARS-CoV-2-associated changes in the gut microbiota from young (2-month-old) and aged (22-month-old) hamsters, a valuable model of COVID-19. We show that age-related dysfunctions in the gut microbiota are linked to disease severity and long-term sequelae in older hamsters. Our data also reveal age-specific changes in the composition and metabolic activity of the gut microbiota during both the acute phase (day 7 post-infection, D7) and the recovery phase (D22) of infection. Aged hamsters exhibited the most notable shi

SUBMITTER: Brito Rodrigues P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11970752 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature