Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
The fecal microbiome in cats with diarrhea.
- Journal:
- PloS one
- Year:
- 2015
- Authors:
- Suchodolski, Jan S et al.
- Affiliation:
- Texas A&M University · United States
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
This study looked at the gut bacteria in cats to understand why some have diarrhea. Researchers collected stool samples from healthy cats and those with either sudden (acute) or long-lasting (chronic) diarrhea. They found that certain types of bacteria were more common in cats with diarrhea, while others were more prevalent in healthy cats. Specifically, some bacteria linked to digestion were less present in cats with chronic diarrhea, and there were notable differences in the overall function of the gut bacteria between the two groups. The study concluded that the gut bacteria in cats with diarrhea are significantly different from those in healthy cats, which could help in finding new ways to diagnose or treat this condition in the future.
Abstract
Recent studies have revealed that microbes play an important role in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in various animal species, but only limited data is available about the microbiome in cats with GI disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fecal microbiome in cats with diarrhea. Fecal samples were obtained from healthy cats (n = 21) and cats with acute (n = 19) or chronic diarrhea (n = 29) and analyzed by sequencing of 16S rRNA genes, and PICRUSt was used to predict the functional gene content of the microbiome. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) revealed significant differences in bacterial groups between healthy cats and cats with diarrhea. The order Burkholderiales, the families Enterobacteriaceae, and the genera Streptococcus and Collinsella were significantly increased in diarrheic cats. In contrast the order Campylobacterales, the family Bacteroidaceae, and the genera Megamonas, Helicobacter, and Roseburia were significantly increased in healthy cats. Phylum Bacteroidetes was significantly decreased in cats with chronic diarrhea (>21 days duration), while the class Erysipelotrichi and the genus Lactobacillus were significantly decreased in cats with acute diarrhea. The observed changes in bacterial groups were accompanied by significant differences in functional gene contents: metabolism of fatty acids, biosynthesis of glycosphingolipids, metabolism of biotin, metabolism of tryptophan, and ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, were all significantly (p<0.001) altered in cats with diarrhea. In conclusion, significant differences in the fecal microbiomes between healthy cats and cats with diarrhea were identified. This dysbiosis was accompanied by changes in bacterial functional gene categories. Future studies are warranted to evaluate if these microbial changes correlate with changes in fecal concentrations of microbial metabolites in cats with diarrhea for the identification of potential diagnostic or therapeutic targets.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25992741/