Yamazaki Yumiko, Kawarai Shinpei, Morita Hidetoshi, Kikusui Takefumi, Iriki Atsushi
Advanced Research Centres, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN BSI, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
BMC Vet Res. 2017 May 31;13(1):150. doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1070-z.
The common marmoset has been used as an experimental animal for various purposes. Because its average weight ranges from 250 to 500 g, weight loss quickly becomes critical for sick animals. Therefore, effective and non-stressful treatment for chronic diseases, including diarrhoea, is essential.
We report a case in which faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) led to immediate recovery from chronic and recurrent diarrhoea caused by Clostridium difficile infection. A male common marmoset experienced chronic diarrhoea after antibiotic treatments. The animal experienced severe weight loss, and a faecal sample was confirmed to be C. difficile-positive but was negative for protozoa. Metronidazole was partially effective at the first administration but not after the recurrence of the clinical signs. Then, oral FMT was administered to the subject by feeding fresh faeces from healthy individuals mixed with the marmoset's usual food. We monitored the faeces by categorization into four groups: normal, loose, diarrhoea, and watery. After the first day of FMT treatment, the marmoset underwent a remarkable recovery from diarrhoea, and after the fourth day of treatment, a test for C. difficile was negative. The clinical signs did not recur. The marmoset recovered from sinusitis and bilateral dacryocystitis, which also did not recur, as a by-product of the improvement in its general health caused by the cessation of diarrhoea after the FMT.
This is the first reported case of successful treatment of a marmoset using oral FMT. As seen in human patients, FMT was effective for the treatment of recurrent C. difficile infection in a captive marmoset.
普通狨猴已被用作多种用途的实验动物。由于其平均体重在250至500克之间，体重减轻对患病动物来说很快就会变得至关重要。因此，针对包括腹泻在内的慢性疾病进行有效且无应激的治疗至关重要。
我们报告了一例粪便微生物群移植（FMT）使由艰难梭菌感染引起的慢性复发性腹泻立即康复的病例。一只雄性普通狨猴在接受抗生素治疗后出现慢性腹泻。该动物体重严重减轻，粪便样本经确认艰难梭菌呈阳性，但原生动物检测为阴性。甲硝唑首次给药时部分有效，但临床症状复发后则无效。然后，通过将健康个体的新鲜粪便与狨猴的常规食物混合喂食，对该受试动物进行了口服FMT。我们将粪便分为四组进行监测：正常、松软、腹泻和水样便。FMT治疗第一天后，狨猴的腹泻明显好转，治疗第四天后，艰难梭菌检测呈阴性。临床症状未复发。作为FMT后腹泻停止导致其整体健康状况改善的附带结果，狨猴的鼻窦炎和双侧泪囊炎也康复且未复发。
这是首例报道使用口服FMT成功治疗狨猴的病例。正如在人类患者中所见，FMT对圈养狨猴复发性艰难梭菌感染的治疗有效。
