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Characterization of the gut microbiome in a porcine model of thoracic spinal cord injury Doelman, Adam; Tigchelaar, Seth; McConeghy, Brian; Sinha, Sunita; Keung, Martin S.; Manouchehri, Neda; Webster, Megan; Fisk, Shera; Morrison, Charlotte; Streijger, Femke; Nislow, Corey; Kwon, Brian K.

Abstract

Background The gut microbiome is a diverse network of bacteria which inhabit our digestive tract and is crucial for efficient cellular metabolism, nutrient absorption, and immune system development. Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts autonomic function below the level of injury and can alter the composition of the gut microbiome. Studies in rodent models have shown that SCI-induced bacterial imbalances in the gut can exacerbate the spinal cord damage and impair recovery. In this study we, for the first time, characterized the composition of the gut microbiome in a Yucatan minipig SCI model. We compared the relative abundance of the most dominant bacterial phyla in control samples to those collected from animals who underwent a contusion-compression SCI at the 2nd or 10th Thoracic level. Results We identify specific bacterial fluctuations that are unique to SCI animals, which were not found in uninjured animals given the same dietary regimen or antibiotic administration. Further, we identified a specific time-frame, “SCI-acute stage”, during which many of these bacterial fluctuations occur before returning to “baseline” levels. Conclusion This work presents a dynamic view of the microbiome changes that accompany SCI, establishes a resource for future studies and to understand the changes that occur to gut microbiota after spinal cord injury and may point to a potential therapeutic target for future treatment.

Item Metadata

Title
Characterization of the gut microbiome in a porcine model of thoracic spinal cord injury
Creator
Doelman, Adam; Tigchelaar, Seth; McConeghy, Brian; Sinha, Sunita; Keung, Martin S.; Manouchehri, Neda; Webster, Megan; Fisk, Shera; Morrison, Charlotte; Streijger, Femke; Nislow, Corey; Kwon, Brian K.
Contributor
University of British Columbia. Department of Orthopaedics. Combined Neurosurgical & Orthopaedic Spine Program; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries; University of British Columbia. Sequencing + Bioinformatics Consortium
Publisher
BioMed Central
Date Issued
2021-10-30
Description
Background The gut microbiome is a diverse network of bacteria which inhabit our digestive tract and is crucial for efficient cellular metabolism, nutrient absorption, and immune system development. Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts autonomic function below the level of injury and can alter the composition of the gut microbiome. Studies in rodent models have shown that SCI-induced bacterial imbalances in the gut can exacerbate the spinal cord damage and impair recovery. In this study we, for the first time, characterized the composition of the gut microbiome in a Yucatan minipig SCI model. We compared the relative abundance of the most dominant bacterial phyla in control samples to those collected from animals who underwent a contusion-compression SCI at the 2nd or 10th Thoracic level. Results We identify specific bacterial fluctuations that are unique to SCI animals, which were not found in uninjured animals given the same dietary regimen or antibiotic administration. Further, we identified a specific time-frame, “SCI-acute stage”, during which many of these bacterial fluctuations occur before returning to “baseline” levels. Conclusion This work presents a dynamic view of the microbiome changes that accompany SCI, establishes a resource for future studies and to understand the changes that occur to gut microbiota after spinal cord injury and may point to a potential therapeutic target for future treatment.
Subject
Spinal Cord Injury; Microbiome; Pig; Antibiotic; Diet; Gut-brain Axis
Genre
Article
Type
Text
Language
eng
Date Available
2021-11-25
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
DOI
10.14288/1.0403829
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/80262
Affiliation
Medicine, Faculty of; Other UBC; Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of
Citation
BMC Genomics. 2021 Oct 30;22(1):775
Publisher DOI
10.1186/s12864-021-07979-3
Peer Review Status
Reviewed
Scholarly Level
Faculty; Researcher; Other
Copyright Holder
The Author(s)
Rights URI
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)