Zhang Zhenwei, Huang Bingjian, Wang Yonghui, Zhan Yandong, Zhu Mingxia, Wang Changfa
Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding and Ecological Feeding, Agricultural Science and Engineering School, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China.
Front Microbiol. 2022 Aug 18;13:927561. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.927561. eCollection 2022.
In donkeys, the gestation period is a dynamic and precisely coordinated process involving systemic and local alterations. Both the gut microbiota and its link with blood metabolites are thought to play significant roles in maintaining maternal health and supporting fetal development during the gestation period. This study was conducted to evaluate gut microbiota changes and the correlation with plasma metabolites in Dezhou donkeys during the gestation period. The donkeys were divided into the four following groups according to their pregnancy stages: the non-pregnant (NP), early stage of pregnancy (P1), middle stage of pregnancy (P2), and late stage of pregnancy (P3) groups. A total of 24 ( = 6 per group) samples of donkey feces and plasma were collected. The results showed that the diversity (Shannon index) of fecal bacteria significantly increased throughout the gestation period. The phyla Spirochaetota and Fibrobacterota varied significantly according to the stages of pregnancy ( < 0.05). At the genus level, the abundance of in pregnant donkeys was greater than that in non-pregnant donkeys ( < 0.05), and the genus reached its maximum abundance in the P2 period ( < 0.05). The abundance of _NK4A214_group and norank_f_norank_o_WCHB1-41 linearly increased with the progression of pregnancy ( < 0.05). In addition, the host plasma metabolome was altered significantly during the gestation period. Testolic acid, estradiol-17beta 3-sulfate, equol 7'-o-glucuronide, equol 4'-o-glucuronide, estrone, estrone 3-glucuronide, and estradiol were the most significant differential enriched metabolites, and they increased gradually as gestation progressed. The altered metabolites were mainly enriched in pathways matched to bile secretion, ABC transporters, amino acid metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, mineral absorption, fatty acid degradation, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and steroid hormone biosynthesis. We also found a significant correlation between the shifts in donkey fecal bacteria and changes in the host metabolism. In summary, this study provided systematic data on the fecal bacterial changes and host plasma metabolism of donkeys throughout pregnancy. The results indicated that host-bacteria interactions during the gestation period influence the host metabolism. These interactions benefit the pregnant donkeys by providing a sufficient supply of nutrients and energy for fetal growth and maternal health.
在驴中，妊娠期是一个动态且精确协调的过程，涉及全身和局部的变化。肠道微生物群及其与血液代谢物的联系被认为在维持母体健康和支持妊娠期胎儿发育方面发挥着重要作用。本研究旨在评估德州驴妊娠期肠道微生物群的变化及其与血浆代谢物的相关性。根据妊娠阶段，将驴分为以下四组：未妊娠（NP）组、妊娠早期（P1）组、妊娠中期（P2）组和妊娠晚期（P3）组。共收集了24份（每组6份）驴粪便和血浆样本。结果表明，整个妊娠期粪便细菌的多样性（香农指数）显著增加。螺旋体门和纤维杆菌门根据妊娠阶段有显著变化（P<0.05）。在属水平上，妊娠驴中某属的丰度高于未妊娠驴（P<0.05），且该属在P2期达到最大丰度（P<0.05）。_NK4A214_组和norank_f_norank_o_WCHB1-41的丰度随着妊娠进展呈线性增加（P<0.05）。此外，妊娠期宿主血浆代谢组发生了显著变化。睾酮酸、雌二醇-17β 3-硫酸盐、雌马酚7'-O-葡萄糖醛酸苷、雌马酚4'-O-葡萄糖醛酸苷、雌酮、雌酮3-葡萄糖醛酸苷和雌二醇是最显著的差异富集代谢物，它们随着妊娠进展逐渐增加。这些变化的代谢物主要富集在与胆汁分泌、ABC转运蛋白、氨基酸代谢、蛋白质消化与吸收、矿物质吸收、脂肪酸降解、甘油磷脂代谢和类固醇激素生物合成相匹配的途径中。我们还发现驴粪便细菌的变化与宿主代谢的变化之间存在显著相关性。总之，本研究提供了关于驴整个妊娠期粪便细菌变化和宿主血浆代谢的系统数据。结果表明，妊娠期宿主与细菌的相互作用影响宿主代谢。这些相互作用通过为胎儿生长和母体健康提供充足的营养和能量供应，使妊娠驴受益。
