Structural and functional alterations in the colonic microbiome of the rat in a model of stress induced irritable bowel syndrome.

ABSTRACT: Stress is known to perturb the microbiome and exacerbate irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) associated symptoms. Characterizing structural and functional changes in the microbiome is necessary to understand how alterations affect the biomolecular environment of the gut in IBS. Repeated water avoidance (WA) stress was used to induce IBS-like symptoms in rats. The colon-mucosa associated microbiome was characterized in 13 stressed and control animals by 16S sequencing. In silico analysis of the functional domains of microbial communities was done by inferring metagenomic profiles from 16S data. Microbial communities and functional profiles were compared between conditions. WA animals exhibited higher α-diversity and moderate divergence in community structure (β-diversity) compared with controls.

SUBMITTER: Fourie NH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5341915 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature