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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 28, 2014; 20(44): 16489-16497
Published online Nov 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i44.16489
Microbiota alterations in acute and chronic gastrointestinal inflammation of cats and dogs
Julia B Honneffer, Yasushi Minamoto, Jan S Suchodolski
Julia B Honneffer, Yasushi Minamoto, Jan S Suchodolski, Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
Author contributions: Honneffer JB, Minamoto Y, and Suchodolski JS contributed to this paper.
Correspondence to: Jan S Suchodolski, PhD, MedVet, DrMedVet, Diplomate ACVM, Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science, Texas A & M University, 4474 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4474, United States. jsuchodolski@cvm.tamu.edu
Telephone: +1-979-4580933 Fax: +1-979-4584015
Received: April 29, 2014
Revised: July 4, 2014
Accepted: July 24, 2014
Published online: November 28, 2014
Processing time: 216 Days and 23.7 Hours
Abstract

The intestinal microbiota is the collection of the living microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses) inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract. Novel bacterial identification approaches have revealed that the gastrointestinal microbiota of dogs and cats is, similarly to humans, a highly complex ecosystem. Studies in dogs and cats have demonstrated that acute and chronic gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are associated with alterations in the small intestinal and fecal microbial communities. Of interest is that these alterations are generally similar to the dysbiosis observed in humans with IBD or animal models of intestinal inflammation, suggesting that microbial responses to inflammatory conditions of the gut are conserved across mammalian host types. Studies have also revealed possible underlying susceptibilities in the innate immune system of dogs and cats with IBD, which further demonstrate the intricate relationship between gut microbiota and host health. Commonly identified microbiome changes in IBD are decreases in bacterial groups within the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and increases within Proteobacteia. Furthermore, a reduction in the diversity of Clostridium clusters XIVa and IV (i.e., Lachnospiraceae and Clostridium coccoides subgroups) are associated with IBD, suggesting that these bacterial groups may play an important role in maintenance of gastrointestinal health. Future studies are warranted to evaluate the functional changes associated with intestinal dysbiosis in dogs and cats.

Keywords: Microbiome; 16S rRNA; Inflammatory bowel disease; Probiotic; Dog; Cat

Core tip: Several studies in dogs and cats have demonstrated that acute and chronic gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are associated with alterations in the small intestinal and fecal microbial communities. Of interest is that these alterations are generally similar to the dysbiosis observed in humans with IBD or animal models of intestinal inflammation, suggesting that microbial responses in inflammatory conditions of the gut are conserved across mammalian host types, and dogs and cats may serve as models to study therapeutic approaches to spontaneous inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract.