Department of Animal Science, Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, Pusan National University, Miryang, 50463, Republic of Korea.
Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-Do, 17546, Republic of Korea.
Sci Rep. 2023 Jan 13;13(1):723. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-27846-3.
Canine obesity is a major health concern that predisposes dogs to various disorders. The fecal microbiome has been attracting attention because of their impact on energy efficiency and metabolic disorders of host. However, little is known about specific microbial interactions, and how these may be affected by obesity in dogs. The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in fecal microbiome and specific microbial networks between obese and normal dogs. A total of 20 beagle dogs (males = 12, body weight [BW]: 10.5 ± 1.08 kg; females = 8, BW: 11.3 ± 1.71 kg; all 2-year-old) were fed to meet the maintenance energy requirements for 18 weeks. Then, 12 beagle dogs were selected based on body condition score (BCS) and divided into two groups: high BCS group (HBCS; BCS range: 7-9, males = 4, females = 2) and normal BCS group (NBCS; BCS range: 4-6, males = 4, females = 2). In the final week of the experiment, fecal samples were collected directly from the rectum, before breakfast, for analyzing the fecal microbiome using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The HBCS group had a significantly higher final BW than the NBCS group (P < 0.01). The relative abundances of Faecalibacterium, Phascolarctobacterium, Megamonas, Bacteroides, Mucispirillum, and an unclassified genus within Ruminococcaceae were significantly higher in the HBCS group than those in the NBCS group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, some Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) modules related to amino acid biosynthesis and B vitamins biosynthesis were enriched in the HBCS group (P < 0.10), whereas those related to carbohydrate metabolism were enriched in the NBCS group (P < 0.10). Microbial network analysis revealed distinct co-occurrence and mutually exclusive interactions between the HBCS and NBCS groups. In conclusion, several genera related to short-chain fatty acid production were enriched in the HBCS group. The enriched KEGG modules in the HBCS group enhanced energy efficiency through cross-feeding between auxotrophs and prototrophs. However, further studies are needed to investigate how specific networks can be interpreted in the context of fermentation characteristics in the lower gut and obesity in dogs.
犬肥胖是一个主要的健康问题，使狗易患各种疾病。肠道微生物组因其对宿主能量效率和代谢紊乱的影响而受到关注。然而，人们对特定的微生物相互作用知之甚少，也不知道这些相互作用如何受到肥胖的影响。本研究的目的是研究肥胖犬和正常犬粪便微生物组和特定微生物网络的差异。总共 20 只比格犬（雄性 12 只，体重 [BW]：10.5±1.08 公斤；雌性 8 只，BW：11.3±1.71 公斤；均 2 岁）喂养 18 周以满足维持能量需求。然后，根据体况评分（BCS）选择 12 只比格犬，并将其分为两组：高 BCS 组（HBCS；BCS 范围：7-9，雄性 4 只，雌性 2 只）和正常 BCS 组（NBCS；BCS 范围：4-6，雄性 4 只，雌性 2 只）。在实验的最后一周，在早餐前直接从直肠采集粪便样本，用于分析 16S rRNA 基因扩增子测序的粪便微生物组。HBCS 组的最终 BW 明显高于 NBCS 组（P<0.01）。HBCS 组的 Faecalibacterium、Phascolarctobacterium、Megamonas、Bacteroides、Mucispirillum 和未分类的 Ruminococcaceae 属的相对丰度明显高于 NBCS 组（P<0.05）。此外，一些与氨基酸生物合成和 B 族维生素生物合成相关的京都基因与基因组百科全书（KEGG）模块在 HBCS 组中富集（P<0.10），而与碳水化合物代谢相关的模块在 NBCS 组中富集（P<0.10）。微生物网络分析显示，HBCS 组和 NBCS 组之间存在明显的共生和互斥相互作用。总之，在 HBCS 组中富集了一些与短链脂肪酸产生有关的属。HBCS 组中富集的 KEGG 模块通过营养缺陷型和原养型之间的交叉喂养提高了能量效率。然而，需要进一步研究如何根据犬下肠道发酵特性和肥胖来解释特定网络。
