Dataset Information

Changes in the Fecal Microbiota Associated with a Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Administration in Hospitalized Neonatal Foals with Probiotics Supplementation.

ABSTRACT: There is a wide array of evidence across species that exposure to antibiotics is associated with dysbiosis, and due to their widespread use, this also raises concerns also in medicine. The study aimed to determine the changes on the fecal microbiota in hospitalized neonatal foals administered with broad-spectrum antimicrobials and supplemented probiotics. Fecal samples were collected at hospital admission (Ta), at the end of the antimicrobial treatment (Te) and at discharge (Td). Feces were analysed by next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene on Illumina MiSeq. Seven foals treated with IV ampicillin and amikacin/gentamicin were included. The mean age at Ta was 19 h, the mean treatment length was 7 days and the mean time between Te and Td was 4.3 days. Seven phyla were identified: Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria, TM7 and Verrucomicrobia. At Ta, Firmicutes (48.19%) and Proteobacteria (31.56%) were dominant. The alpha diversity decreased from Ta to Te, but it was the highest at Td. The beta diversity was higher at Ta than at Te and higher at Td than at Te. An increase in Akkermansia over time was detected. The results suggest that the intestinal microbiota of neonatal foals rapidly returns to a high diversity after treatment. It is possible that in foals, the effect of antimicrobials is strongly influenced or overshadowed by the time-dependent changes in the developing gut microbiota.

SUBMITTER: Freccero F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8388449 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Changes in the Fecal Microbiota Associated with a Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Administration in Hospitalized Neonatal Foals with Probiotics Supplementation.

Freccero Francesca F Lanci Aliai A Mariella Jole J Viciani Elisa E Quercia Sara S Castagnetti Andrea A Castagnetti Carolina C

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI 20210802 8

There is a wide array of evidence across species that exposure to antibiotics is associated with dysbiosis, and due to their widespread use, this also raises concerns also in medicine. The study aimed to determine the changes on the fecal microbiota in hospitalized neonatal foals administered with broad-spectrum antimicrobials and supplemented probiotics. Fecal samples were collected at hospital admission (Ta), at the end of the antimicrobial treatment (Te) and at discharge (Td). Feces were anal ...[more]

PMID: 34438741

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Project description:Foals commonly experience diarrhoea in the first weeks of life. Although this condition is rarely life-threatening, it can have significant health consequences. This study investigated whether new-born foals can benefit from a dietary supplement of nucleotides, as already demonstrated in other species. Dietary nucleotides have positive effects on rapidly proliferating tissues and are considered "semi-essential nutrients" since cells have only a limited capacity to synthesize these compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate whether providing foals with a dietary nucleotide supplementation, in the form of an oral paste, was able to affect diarrhoea incidence, systemic immunity, intestinal microbiota and volatile fatty acid production. Thirty new-born standardbred foals, from 3 different premises within the same area, were equally distributed between two groups: one group received an oral paste containing dietary nucleotides (NUCL group), while the other received a placebo paste (CTRL group). Faecal and blood samples were collected on days 1 and 35 after birth. No statistical differences in cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-12) or faecal calprotectin levels were found between the two groups, suggesting that the level of nucleotide supplementation used in this study did not have significant effects on the systemic immune system and on the levels of faecal calprotectin. However, the NUCL group showed a lower relative frequency of number of days with diarrhoea (6.12% vs 13.33%; p < 0.001) and greater weight gain compared with the CTRL group (50.3 ± 5.65 kg vs 44.0 ± 8.65 kg; p < 0.05). Total volatile fatty acids, branched volatile fatty acids, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, succinic acid and iso-butyric acids in faecal samples were all higher in the NUCL group compared with the CTRL group. This outcome may explain an earlier establishment of a gut microbiota in the foals of the NUCL group that was closer to that typical of an adult horse, characterised by predominant fibrolytic populations. Volatile fatty acid production (especially butyric acid) has also been shown to correlate with the intestinal well-being of the horse, supporting the use of dietary nucleotide supplements for improved health and well-being in new-born foals. Although we noted no clear differences in the faecal microbial communities between the two groups, dietary nucleotide supplementation did appear to have a positive clinical outcome, reducing the number of days of diarrhoea and increasing the levels of volatile fatty acids.

Dataset Information

Changes in the Fecal Microbiota Associated with a Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Administration in Hospitalized Neonatal Foals with Probiotics Supplementation.

Publications

Changes in the Fecal Microbiota Associated with a Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Administration in Hospitalized Neonatal Foals with Probiotics Supplementation.

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