Amaral Wellington Z, Lubach Gabriele R, Kapoor Amita, Proctor Alexandra, Phillips Gregory J, Lyte Mark, Coe Christopher L
Harlow Center for Biological Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, Wisconsin.
Am J Primatol. 2017 Oct;79(10). doi: 10.1002/ajp.22691. Epub 2017 Sep 12.
The lower reproductive tract of nonhuman primates is colonized with a diverse microbiota, resembling bacterial vaginosis (BV), a gynecological condition associated with negative reproductive outcomes in women. Our 4 aims were to: (i) assess the prevalence of low Lactobacilli and a BV-like profile in female rhesus monkeys; (ii) quantify cytokines in their cervicovaginal fluid (CVF); (iii) examine the composition and structure of their mucosal microbiota with culture-independent sequencing methods; and (iv) evaluate the potential influence on reproductive success. CVF specimens were obtained from 27 female rhesus monkeys for Gram's staining, and to determine acidity (pH), and quantify proinflammatory cytokines. Based on Nugent's classification, 40% had a score of 7 or higher, which would be indicative of BV in women. Nugent scores were significantly correlated with the pH of the CVF. Interleukin-1ß was present at high concentrations, but not further elevated by high Nugent scores. Vaginal swabs were obtained from eight additional females to determine microbial diversity by rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. At the phylum level, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was low. The relative abundance of Lactobacilli was also low (between 3% and 17%), and 11 other genera were present at >1%. However, neither the microbial diversity in the community structure, nor high Nugent scores, was associated with reduced fecundity. Female monkeys provide an opportunity to understand how reproductive success can be sustained in the presence of a diverse polymicrobial community in the reproductive tract.
非人灵长类动物的下生殖道定植着多样的微生物群，类似于细菌性阴道病（BV），这是一种与女性不良生殖结局相关的妇科疾病。我们的4个目标是：（i）评估雌性恒河猴中低乳酸杆菌和BV样特征的患病率；（ii）定量其宫颈阴道液（CVF）中的细胞因子；（iii）用非培养测序方法检查其黏膜微生物群的组成和结构；（iv）评估对生殖成功的潜在影响。从27只雌性恒河猴获取CVF标本进行革兰氏染色，以测定酸度（pH值）并定量促炎细胞因子。根据 Nugent 分类，40% 的猴子得分在7分或更高，这在女性中表明为BV。Nugent评分与CVF的pH值显著相关。白细胞介素-1β浓度较高，但高Nugent评分并未使其进一步升高。从另外8只雌性猴子获取阴道拭子，通过rRNA基因扩增子测序确定微生物多样性。在门水平上，厚壁菌门/拟杆菌门的比例较低。乳酸杆菌的相对丰度也较低（在3% 至17% 之间），并且存在另外11个相对丰度大于1% 的属。然而，群落结构中的微生物多样性和高Nugent评分均与生育力降低无关。雌性猴子为了解在生殖道存在多样的多微生物群落的情况下如何维持生殖成功提供了一个机会。
