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Management of diarrhoea in horses is usually non-specific and supportive. Faecal microbiota transplantations (FMT) are used to manage dysbiosis in horses with diarrhoea. There are few studies investigating the effects of storage on prepared FMT solutions. This study was an in vitro non-randomised controlled experiment that investigated the effects of FMT solution preparation and storage on the faecal microbiota. Fresh faeces were collected from five healthy adult horses and used for DNA extraction and preparation of FMT. From each FMT, seven aliquots were collected and DNA was extracted immediately after FMT preparation (0 hr), after storage at 4 °C for 24, 48 or 72 hours, and after storage at -20°C for 7 days, 14 days or 28 days. The extracted DNA was used for 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. The relative abundance, alpha diversity and beta diversity between fresh faeces and FMT 0 hr showed no differences (P ≥ 0.05). There were minimal changes in the microbiota of FMT stored at 4°C for up to 72 hours and -20°C for up to 28 days. The results of this study indicate that preparation of equine FMT solution has minimal effect on the microbiota in comparison to fresh faeces. FMT solution can be stored at 4°C for up to 3 days and -20°C for 28 days without major change in microbiota., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest None of the authors has any financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Diarrhea in foals can be associated with disruption of the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis). Effective management of intestinal dysbiosis in foals has not been demonstrated., Hypothesis/objectives: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in foals with diarrhea influences the intestinal microbiota and improves clinical and clinicopathological outcomes., Animals: Twenty-five foals <6 months of age with diarrhea and systemic inflammatory response syndrome at 3 veterinary hospitals., Methods: A prospective randomized placebo-controlled cohort study. Foals in the FMT group (n = 19) or control group (n = 9) received FMT or electrolyte solution once daily for 3 days. Fecal samples were obtained on Day 0 (D0), D1, D2, D3, and D7. Within group and between group data analyses were performed for clinical, clinicopathological, and microbiota variables., Results: Treatment had no effect on survival (FMT 79%; control 100%, P = .3) or resolution of diarrhea (FMT 68%; control 55%, P = .4). On D3, the white blood cell count of the FMT group was lower than the control group (D3 FMT group median 6.4 g/L [5-8.3 g/L]; D3 control group median 14.3 g/L [6.7-18.9 g/L] P = .04). Heart rate reduced over time in the FMT group (D0 median 80 bpm [60-150 bpm]; D2 median 70 bpm [52-110 bpm] [P = .005]; and D3 median 64, [54-102 bpm] [P < .001]). Phylum Verrucomicrobiota, genus Akkermansia, and family Prevotellaceae were enriched in the FMT group on D1 (linear discriminate analysis > 4)., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: In foals with diarrhea, FMT appears safe and can be associated with some clinical and microbiota changes suggestive of beneficial effect., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

The circadian misalignment (CM) disordered circadian rhythms exert adverse effects on animals. Poultry as one of animals suffers health and welfare problems due to long-term lighting photoperiods caused by CM. However, the roles of CM on organ development, cell growth, metabolism and immune are still unclear in chickens. In this study, a Chinese dual-purpose native breed, was used to explore the effects of CM on transcriptomic pattern of brain and cell energy biogenesis, and further fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was applied to investigate its "therapy" effect from CM suffering. Our results showed that the CM led to stunting in brain and small intestine of chicken. CM decreased of cell proliferation, and energy production, mtDNA copies and expression of genes related to cell cycle or mitochondrial biogenetics, while it upregulated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and the sensitivity to inflammation. Interestingly, FMT rescued the organ developmental defects and cell dysfunctions induced by CM. Circadian misalignment brought about abnormal tissue and cell developments, energy biogenesis, and immune response in birds. This study provided a comprehensive perspective on understanding the regulation of CM and FMT on bird development and welfare., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Dogs with acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome (AHDS) present with similar clinical signs and histopathological findings as dogs with parvovirosis, in which fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has led to a significantly faster resolution of diarrhea and shorter hospitalization times. We investigated whether FMT results in faster clinical improvement and normalization of the intestinal microbiome compared to standard treatment., Animals: 32 client-owned dogs with AHDS., Methods: A prospective, double-anonymized clinical trial included 3 groups: symptomatic treatment (n = 12), FMT treatment (FMTT; 12), and antibiotic treatment (AT; 8). Clinical improvement was determined on the basis of AHDS index, changes in the microbiome based on the dysbiosis index, and PCR results for clostridial strains., Results: Overall, no significant differences in clinical scores between the treatment groups over time were detected except on day 2 (higher AHDS index in the AT group compared to FMTT group; P = .046). The dysbiosis index increased and P hiranonis decreased on day 1 in some dogs, but these changes were transient in the symptomatic treatment and FMTT groups. In the AT group, the dysbiosis index was persistently elevated and 4 of 8 dogs showed a reduced abundance of P hiranonis on day 42. In 67% of the dogs on day 1, NetF-encoding Clostridium perfringens was detected and enterotoxin-encoding strains increased, but these changes were transient in all dogs, regardless of therapy., Clinical Relevance: Overall, in dogs with AHDS, neither FMT nor AT resulted in faster clinical improvement. In addition, C perfringens strains are self-limiting and do not require antibiotic therapy.

Background: Currently, lack of standardization for fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in equine practice has resulted in highly variable techniques, and there is no data on the bacterial metabolic activity or viability of the administered product. The objectives of this study were to compare the total and potentially metabolically active bacterial populations in equine FMT, and assess the effect of different frozen storage times, buffers, and temperatures on an equine FMT product. Fresh feces collected from three healthy adult horses was subjected to different storage methods. This included different preservation solutions (saline plus glycerol or saline only), temperature (-20 °C or -80 °C), and time (fresh, 30, 60, or 90 days). Samples underwent DNA extraction to assess total bacterial populations (both live and dead combined) and RNA extraction followed by reverse transcription to cDNA as a proxy to assess viable bacteria, then 16s rRNA gene amplicon sequencing using the V1-V2 region., Results: The largest difference in population indices and taxonomic composition at the genus level was seen when evaluating the results of DNA-based (total) and cDNA-based (potentially metabolically active) extraction method. At the community level, alpha diversity (observed species, Shannon diversity) was significantly decreased in frozen samples for DNA-based analysis (P < 0.05), with less difference seen for cDNA-based sequencing. Using DNA-based analysis, length of storage had a significant impact (P < 0.05) on the bacterial community profiles. For potentially metabolically active populations, storage overall had less of an effect on the bacterial community composition, with a significant effect of buffer (P < 0.05). Individual horse had the most significant effect within both DNA and cDNA bacterial communities., Conclusions: Frozen storage of equine FMT material can preserve potentially metabolically active bacteria of the equine fecal microbiome, with saline plus glycerol preservation more effective than saline alone. Larger studies are needed to determine if these findings apply to other individual horses. The ability to freeze FMT material for use in equine patients could allow for easier clinical use of fecal transplant in horses with disturbances in their intestinal microbiome., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Short-beak and dwarf syndrome (SBDS) is caused by infection with novel goose parvovirus (NGPV), which leads to intestinal dysbiosis, developmental delay, short beak, lameness, and paralysis in ducks and is the cause of skeletal health problems. NGPV infection can cause intestinal microbial disturbances, but it is still unclear whether the intestinal microbiota affects the pathogenicity of NGPV. Here, the effects of intestinal microbiota on NGPV-induced SBDS in Cherry Valley ducks were assessed by establishing a duck model for gut microflora depletion/reestablishment through antibiotics (ABX) treatment/fecal microbiota transplanted (FMT). By measuring body weight, beak length, beak width and tarsal length, we found that SBDS clinical symptoms were alleviated in ducks treated with ABX, but not in FMT ducks. Next, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of bone metabolism, gut barrier integrity, and inflammation levels using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), biochemical analysis and histological analysis. The results showed that ABX treatment improved bone quality reduced bone resorption, mitigated tissue lesions, protected intestinal barrier integrity, and inhibited systemic inflammation in NGPV-infected ducks. Moreover, cecal microflora composition and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production were examined by bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing and gas chromatography. The results revealed that ABX treatment mitigated the decreased abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidota in NGPV-infected ducks, as well as increased SCFAs production. Furthermore, ABX treatment reduced the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (Malt1) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) expression, which are correlated with systemic inflammation in SBDS ducks. These findings suggested that intestinal microflora depletion alleviated NGPV-induced SBDS by maintaining intestinal homeostasis, inhibiting inflammatory response and alleviating bone resorption. These results provide evidence for the pivotal role of intestinal microbiota in the process of SBDS and contribute a theoretical basis for the feasibility of microecological preparation as a method to control SBDS., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is increasingly used for gastrointestinal and extra-gastrointestinal diseases in veterinary medicine. However, its effects on immune responses and possible adverse events have not been systematically investigated., Hypothesis/objectives: Determine the short-term safety profile and changes in the peripheral immune system after a single FMT administration in healthy dogs., Animals: Ten client-owned, clinically healthy dogs as FMT recipients, and 2 client-owned clinically healthy dogs as FMT donors., Methods: Prospective non-randomized clinical trial. A single rectal enema of 5 g/kg was given to clinically healthy canine recipients. During the 28 days after FMT administration, owners self-reported adverse events and fecal scores. On Days 0 (baseline), 1, 4, 10, and 28 after FMT, fecal and blood samples were collected. The canine fecal dysbiosis index (DI) was calculated using qPCR., Results: No significant changes were found in the following variables: CBC, serum biochemistry, C-reactive protein, serum cytokines (interleukins [IL]-2, -6, -8, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α), peripheral leukocytes (B cells, T cells, cluster of differentiation [CD]4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, T regulatory cells), and the canine DI. Mild vomiting (n = 3), diarrhea (n = 4), decreased activity (n = 2), and inappetence (n = 1) were reported, and resolved without intervention., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Fecal microbiota transplantation did not significantly alter the evaluated variables and recipients experienced minimal adverse events associated with FMT administration. Fecal microbiota transplantation was not associated with serious adverse events, changes in peripheral immunologic variables, or the canine DI in the short-term., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Excess abdominal fat reduces carcass yield and feed conversion ratio, thereby resulting in significant economic losses in the poultry industry. Our previous study demonstrated that dietary addition of folic acid reduced fat deposition and changed gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acid. However, whether folic acid regulating abdominal fat deposition was mediated by gut microbiota was unclear. A total of 210 one-day-old broiler chickens were divided into 3 groups including the control (CON), folic acid (FA), and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) groups. From 14th day, broiler chickens in CON and FA groups were given perfusion administration with 1 mL diluent daily, while 1 mL fecal microbiota transplantation suspension from FA group prepared before was perfusion in FMT group receiving control diets. The result showed that abdominal fat percentage was significantly lower in FA and FMT groups when compared with CON group (P < 0.05). Morphology analysis revealed that the villus height of jejunum and ileum were significantly higher in FMT group (P < 0.05), and the villus height of jejunum was also significantly higher in FA group (P < 0.05), while the diameter and cross-sectional area (CSA) of adipocytes were significantly decreased in FA and FMT groups when compared with CON group (P < 0.05). Western blot results indicated that the expression levels of FOXO1 and PLIN1 in FMT group were significantly increased (P < 0.05), whereas the expression levels of PPARγ, C/EBPα, and FABP4 were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Additionally, the Chao1, Observed-species, Shannon and Simpson indexes in FA and FMT groups were significantly higher (P < 0.05), but the microbiota were similar between FMT and FA groups (P < 0.05). LEfSe analysis determined that Lactobacillus, Clostridium and Dehalobacterium were found to be predominant in FA group, while Oscillospira, Shigella, and Streptococcus were the dominant microflora in FMT group. Furthermore, these cecal microbiota were mostly involved in infectious disease, cellular community prokaryotes, cell motility and signal transduction in FA group (P < 0.05), whereas functional capacities involved in signal transduction, cell motility, infectious disease and environment adaptation were enriched significantly of cecal microbiota in FMT group (P < 0.05). In summary, both fecal microbiota transplantation from the broiler chickens of dietary added folic acid and dietary folic acid addition effectively reduced abdominal fat deposition, indicating that the regulatory effect of folic acid on abdominal fat deposition was mediated partly by gut microbiota in broiler chickens., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The interesting roles and efficiencies of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) have attracted considerable attention and have been gradually evidenced in specific animal models. While the growing evidence that bacteriophages play roles in FMT efficacy has attracted considerable interest. In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of FMT and fecal virome transplantation (FVT) in improving inflammatory damage and ileal microbiota disorder in broilers. A total of 224 Arbor Acres broilers were selected at 1-day-old and randomly divided into the following 4 groups, with 56 broilers in each group: the CON group (the negative control group, sterile physiological saline injection + sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution gavage), LPS group (the positive control group, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection + sterile PBS solution gavage), LPS + FMT group (LPS injection + FMT solution gavage), LPS + FVT group (LPS injection + FVT solution gavage). The results showed that: LPS injection significantly upregulated the mRNA expression levels of IFN-γ (P < 0.05) and IL-8 (P < 0.001) in ileal mucosa of broilers at 11th day of age (D11), while LPS + FMT and LPS + FVT did not; LPS injection significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of ZO-1 in ileal mucosa at D11 (P < 0.01), while LPS + FMT and LPS + FVT did not; at D11, compare to CON group, LPS injection and LPS + FMT significantly increased the relative abundance of virulence factor Rab2 interacting conserved protein A-related genes in broiler ileum contents (P < 0.05), while LPS + FVT had no significant difference with CON group (P > 0.05); at D11, LPS injection significantly downregulated the biosynthesis of antibiotics pathway (P < 0.05) in the ileal contents, while LPS + FVT did not. In conclusion, both FMT and FVT could promote the recovery of inflammation caused by LPS. Furthermore, FVT had shown less disadvantage stimulation on the broilers and could reduce the risk of transmission of pathogenic genes, compared to FMT., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Growing evidence of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and fecal virus transplantation (FVT) provides a possibility to regulate animal health, whereas little is known about the impact of the 2 methods. This study aimed to investigate the effects of gut microbes on jejunal function in healthy broiler chickens, with the objective of establishing a theoretical basis for the application of FMT and FVT. Cecal feces from 28-day-old AA broilers were collected to prepare gavage juice for FMT and FVT. FMT for Group FM, FVT for group FV and PBS gavage for group CON, continuously treated for 6 days start at 5-day-old chicks. Samples were collected at d 11 and d 21. The results showed that the treatment d 2 and the overall fecal score in treatment groups were significantly lower than CON group (P < 0.05). The jejunum morphology showed that FMT increased crypt depth, decreased villus height, V/C (P < 0.05) and FVT increased villus height (P < 0.05) at d 11. At d 21, villus height and crypt depth significantly higher (P < 0.05) in group FM and group FV. The expression of Claudin1, Occludin, ZO2, and Muc2 in the FV group was significantly increased (P < 0.05) at 11-day-old. FMT increased the secretion of sIgA at 11-day-old, and this influence lasted up to 21-day-old (P < 0.05). At 11-day-old, the expression of b 0+ AT of basic amino acid transport carrier and chymotrypsin activity (P < 0.05) had a significant correlation. At 21 d of age, FVT significantly increased the expression of PepT1 and SGLT1 (P < 0.05). At 11-day-old, FM group showed significantly higher faith pd index (P = 0.004) and Shannon index (P = 0.037), and separated from FV and CON according to PCoA. Among differentiating bacteria, Bacteroides significantly enriched (P < 0.05) in group FM, which positively correlated with the expression of ZO2, Muc2, Occludin, and Claudin1; R&#95;Ruminococcus, L&#95;Ruminococcus, Butyricicoccuss significantly enriched (P < 0.05) in group CON, which significantly higher than processing groups, R&#95;Ruminococcus and L&#95;Ruminococcus negatively correlated with the expression of Occludin (P < 0.05), and R&#95;Ruminococcus, Butyricicoccus negatively correlated with the expression of Claudin1 (P < 0.05). At 21-day-old, PCoA based on Bray-Curtis shows that microbes taxa of 3 groups are isolated with each other and treatment groups were significant different with CON group based on Unweighted UniFrac and weighted UniFrac. The expression of PepT1 was significantly negatively (P < 0.05) correlated with Ruminococcus, and the expression of sIgA was significantly negatively (P < 0.05) correlated with Parabacteroides. In conclusion, FMT regulated intestinal flora rapidly, while it had little effect on intestinal function and a higher potential damaging risk on jejunal. FVT regulated intestinal flora structure softer, improved tight junction expression, but the mechanism of action needs further exploration., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Chronic diarrhoea is a common clinical sign in dogs with chronic enteropathy, and psyllium husk has been shown to improve clinical signs in affected dogs. The aim of this study was to investigate whether faecal microbiome transplant has a similar effect in alleviating clinical signs in dogs with chronic large bowel diarrhoea., Method: Thirty large-breed working dogs with chronic large bowel diarrhoea were divided into a psyllium group (PG) and a faecal microbiome transplant group (FMTG). To the PG, 16 g/day of psyllium husk was administered for 30 days. The FMTG received faecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) once via enema. A daily log of faecal characteristics was kept, and the dogs' canine inflammatory bowel disease index (CIBDAI) and body condition scores (BCS) were determined. A Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test was used to compare group results. In addition, the Kaplan-Meier test was used to evaluate the occurrence rate of 1 day or more of diarrhoea and 2 days or more of diarrhoea by day 30., Results: The sample had a mean age of 3.9 ± 2.1 years and a bodyweight of 25.3 ± 6.8 kg. The FMTG showed a more rapid onset of CIBDAI improvement but no difference in other measures. At 30 days, the FMTG showed a greater improvement in bodyweight and BCS, but no differences were observed in faecal scores, defaecation frequency and time of appearance of episodes of diarrhoea. Time played a significant positive role in the results observed across both groups (p < 0.05)., Limitations: This study did not compare the microbiomes of the dogs before and after treatment, so the role of specific types of bacteria cannot be determined., Conclusion: Psyllium husk and FMT had similar effects in improving clinical signs of chronic large bowel diarrhoea., (© 2023 British Veterinary Association.)

Background: Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) is increasingly administered as part of the treatment of colitis in horses, yet there is little data as to its effectiveness., Aim: Retrospective evaluation of the effects of FMT on discharge status, fecal consistency, length of hospitalization, and improvement in clinical signs in horses hospitalized for diarrhea., Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Medical records of adult horses (>1 year old) that received at least one transfaunation treatment (2013-2018) in two referral hospitals were identified through a medical records database search. Medical records of contemporary adult horses with diarrhea who did not receive FMT at the same study centers were used as controls., Results: Control horses had statistically significant shorter hospitalization [7 (1-21)] as compared to the transfaunation group [12 (3-31)] ( p = 0.0006). There were no significant differences between groups in the number of days to the improvement of feces ( p = 0.38), or in days to normalization of fecal consistency ( p = 0.43), respiratory rate ( p = 0.42), heart rate ( p = 0.27), body temperature ( p = 0.12), peripheral white blood cell count ( p = 0.37), improvement in appetite ( p = 0.81), or attitude ( p = 0.06). There was also no significant difference in survival to discharge (transfaunation 28/37, 75.7%; control 56/74, 75.7%, p = 1.0)., Conclusion: There were no significant advantages of performing FMTs in horses with diarrhea in this retrospective study. This highlights the need for prospective, randomized studies to evaluate the efficacy of FMT, as well as different formulations, in horses with colitis before this can become standard practice., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

The microbes inhabiting an animal's gastrointestinal tracts, collectively known as the gut microbiome, are vital to animal health and wellbeing. For animals experiencing gut distress or infection, modulation of the gut microbiome, for example, via fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), provides a possible disease prevention and treatment method. The beneficial microbes present in the donor's transplanted feces can help combat pathogens, assist in digestion, and rebalance the recipient's microbiota. Investigating the efficacy of FMTs in animal health is a crucial step toward improving management strategies for species under human care. We present a case study of the use of FMTs in a two-toed sloth experiencing abnormally large, clumped, and frequent stools. We used 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing of fecal samples to (a) compare the microbiomes of the FMT donor, a healthy, cohoused conspecific, and the FMT recipient and (b) assess the influence of multiple rounds of FMTs on the recipient's microbiome and stool consistency and frequency over time. In response to the FMTs, we found that the recipient's microbiome showed trends toward increased diversity, shifted community composition, and altered membership that more resembled the community of the donor. FMT treatment was also associated with marked, yet temporary, alleviation of the recipient's abnormal bowel movements, suggesting a broader impact on gut health. Our results provide valuable preliminary evidence that FMT treatments can augment the recipient's gut microbiome, with potential implications for animal health and management., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Bacterial imbalances are observed in intestinal diseases and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been used to restore the intestinal microbiota of horses. However, there is evidence that the current methods proposed for FMT in horses have limited efficacy. The objective of this study was to concentrate the bacteria present in the donor stool by centrifugation, and to test the effect in horses with antibiotic-induced dysbiosis. One healthy 11-year-old horse was selected as a fecal donor and 9 horses were given trimethoprim sulfadiazine (TMS) for 5 days to induce dysbiosis. Horses received either a concentrated FMT (cFMT, n = 3), fresh unconcentrated FMT (fFMT, n = 3), or 10% glycerol solution (vehicle, VEH, n = 3) by nasogastric tube for 3 days. Fecal samples were collected on Days 0, 4, 9, 11, and 21 for microbiota analysis (Illumina sequencing). The TMS significantly changed the bacterial composition of horses' feces (D0 versus D4). The composition of the cFMT and fFMT recipient horses was significantly different after transplantation compared to after antibiotic-induced dysbiosis (D4 versus D11), whereas the microbiota of the vehicle recipients was not, indicating that both protocols induced transient changes. However, preparation of FMT solutions markedly changed the original composition present in the donor's feces, with significant enrichment of Escherichia genus in the cFMT. Individual susceptibility to restoration of the microbiota was observed in horses, similar to what is known for other species. Our results suggest that concentrating bacteria should not be recommended in preparation of FMT solutions and that further research is required to improve current methods recommended to perform FMT in horses., (Copyright and/or publishing rights held by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.)

The underlying mechanism between the gut microbiota and reproductive function is not yet well-known. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of the administration of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from highly laying rate donors on the cecal microbiota, intestinal health and ovarian function in broiler breeders. A total of 60 broiler breeders (53 wk of age) were selected by their laying rate [high (HP, 90.67 ± 0.69%; n = 10) and low (LP, 70.23 ± 0.87%; n = 20)]. The LP breeders were then be transplanted with fecal microbiota from HP hens (FMTHP; n = 10) or the same dosage of PBS (FMTCON; n = 10) for 28 d. The results revealed that FMT from HP donors increased egg-laying rate and serum hormone levels [17β-estradiol (E2), anti-Müller hormone], also decreased proinflammatory cytokine levels (interleukin-6, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-α) of LP breeders (P < 0.05). The FMTHP group breeders had higher villus height, villus height/crypt depth ratio, and upregulated mRNA expression of jejunum barrier-related gene (ZO-2 and mucin-2) and estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and anti-Müller hormone (AMH) receptor genes (ESR1, ESR2, FSHR, AMHR) (P < 0.05) than FMTCON group. FMT from HP donors led to higher mRNA expression of Bcl2 and sirtuin1 (SIRT1), while it downregulated the proapoptotic genes (Bax, caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9) mRNA expressions in ovary compared with the FMTCON breeders (P < 0.05), and this pattern was also observed in HP donors. Also, HP breeder had higher observed&#95;species and alpha-diversity indexes (Chao1 and ACE) than FMTCON group, while FMTHP can increase observed&#95;species and alpha-diversity indexes (Chao1 and ACE) than FMTCON group (P < 0.05). The bacteria enrichment of Firmicutes (phylum), Bacteroidetes (phylum), Lactobacillus (genus), Enterococcus (genus), and Bacteroides (genus) were increased by FMTHP treatment. The genera Butyricicoccus, Enterococcus, and Lactobacillus were positively correlated with egg-laying rate. Therefore, cecal microbiomes of breeders with high egg-laying performance have more diverse activities, which may be related to the metabolism and health of the host; and FMT from high-yield donors can increase the hormone secretion, intestinal health, and ovarian function to improve egg-laying performance and the SIRT1-related apoptosis and cytokine signaling pathway were involved in this process., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES The authors declare no conflict of interest. No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. I would like to declare on behalf of my coauthors that the work described was original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. All the authors listed have been approved the manuscript that is enclosed., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of faecal microbiota transfer (FMT) with lactation Min sows as faecal donor on blood immunity, small intestine amino acid transport capacity, bile acid circulation, and colon microbiota of recipient piglets. From Days 1 to 10, the recipient group (R group) was orally inoculated with a faecal suspension. The control group (Con group) was orally inoculated with sterile physiological saline. On Day 21, the results showed that the immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentration in plasma of the R group was increased (p < 0.05). The expression of 4F2hc in the jejunal mucosa and ileum mucosa of the R group was ameliorated (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Synergistetes in the colon of the R group was increased, Proteobacteria was diminished by FMT (p < 0.05). On Day 40, the concentrations of IgA, IgG, and interleukin-2 detected in the plasma of the R group were increased (p < 0.05). FXR and fibroblast growth factor 19 gene expression was upregulated in ileum mucosa, CYP7A1 and Na + taurocholate cotransporter polypeptide gene expression were downregulated in the liver and organic solute transporters α/β was downregulated in colonic mucosa (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Spirochaetes in the colon of the R group was decreased (p < 0.05). In conclusion, an early FMT with lactation Min sows as faecal donors can alter the small intestine amino acid transport capacity, bile acid circulation, and colonic microbiota of recipient piglets during lactation and after weaning., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Animal growth traits are important and complex traits that determine the productivity of animal husbandry. There are many factors that affect growth traits, among which diet digestion is the key factor. In the process of animal digestion and absorption, the role of gastrointestinal microbes is essential. In this study, we transplanted two groups of sheep intestinal microorganisms with different body weights into the intestines of mice of the same age to observe the effect of fecal bacteria transplantation on the growth characteristics of the mouse model. The results showed that receiving fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) had an effect on the growth traits of recipient mice (P < 0.05). Interestingly, only mice receiving high-weight donor microorganisms showed differences. Use 16S rDNA sequencing technology to analyze the stool microorganisms of sheep and mice. The microbial analysis of mouse feces showed that receiving FMT could improve the diversity and richness of microorganisms (P < 0.05), and the microbial composition of mouse feces receiving low-weight donor microorganisms was similar to that of the control group, which was consistent with the change trend of growth traits. The feces of high-weight sheep may have higher colonization ability. The same five biomarkers were identified in the donor and recipient, all belonging to Firmicutes, and were positively correlated with the body weight of mice at each stage. These results suggest that FMT affects the growth traits of receptors by remodeling their gut microflora., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Antimicrobial administration can lead to imbalances of gastrointestinal microbiota, called dysbiosis. Dysbiosis sometimes results in diarrhea and enteritis in horses. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is used to treat affected horses, but whether it is effective as a prophylactic approach for dysbiosis in horses receiving antimicrobials remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of simultaneous FMT against metronidazole-induced dysbiosis in horses. Changes in the ratios of bacterial families, determined by metagenomic analysis, were similar between the metronidazole-treated group and the simultaneous metronidazole- and FMT-treated group, notably in the Clostridiaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae. Differences in fecal bacterial compositions were due mainly to metronidazole administration (P = .0003), but not to FMT (P = .3136). Simultaneous FMT at 500 g of donor feces in 1 L of suspension once a day did not inhibit metronidazole-induced dysbiosis. The results show that the FMT protocol needs to be improved to prevent metronidazole-induced gut dysbiosis in horses., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The intestinal microbiota plays important roles in animal health and growth. We investigated the efficacy and mechanisms of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from adult SPF chickens against Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infection in chicks. We transplanted 160 recipient SPF chicks (1-day-old) that were randomly divided into four groups, Ca (challenge), Cb (non-challenge), Fa (FMT and challenge) and Fb (FMT without challenge). The experiment lasted 40 days. We found that FMT reduced mortality as well as liver inflammatory lesions, promoted weight gain, improved immunity, ameliorated the digestion and absorption ability and inhibited SE colonization in the liver of challenged chicks. 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing indicated that SE challenge caused a significant increase in the relative abundance of Parasutterella in the cecal microbiota of the recipient chicks (P < 0.05). FMT led to the maturation of the intestinal flora of recipients and the relative abundance of the Bacteroides, Rikenellaceae&#95; RC9&#95; gut&#95; group, Prevotellaceae&#95; UCG&#95; 001, Prevotellaceae&#95; Ga6A1&#95; group and Parabacteroides was significantly increased (P < 0.05). FMT from adult SPF chickens regulated the intestinal microbiota of chicks and increased resistance to SE infection., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To assess small animal practitioner's awareness of the relatively novel procedure of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in dogs and their practices, indications, experience and assessment of outcome of this in canine patients. An anonymous online questionnaire was distributed to practitioners in the UK and around the world, assessing demographics of respondents, their selection criteria for donors, their operating procedures and indications when performing FMT in dogs, as well as the observed outcomes. Analysis of results was descriptive. Data based on 155 responses from 13 different countries, 40% from primary care practices and 60% from referral hospitals, were analyzed. The majority of respondents (71%) had never performed FMT. For the remaining, main indications were chronic enteropathy (64%) and parvovirus infection (21%), followed by other types of acute diarrhea (15%). The most common mode of administration was via enema (79%) or endoscopically (55%), using fresh (76%) or frozen (46%) preparations mixed with saline and/or water, while the amount administered was extremely variable. Median storage time of FMT was 90 days (range 1-180 days). 67% of participants routinely administer FMT more than once. Clinical response was mixed to good, with rare adverse events (n = 4). A total of 25 respondents (21.7%) wanted to start using FMT, while 45 (29%) wanted to continue or increase FMT administration for various gastrointestinal conditions. In conclusion, an administration of FMT to dogs is currently rare amongst small animal practitioners, but generally follow current recommendations. Urgent consensus regarding donor selection and FMT application procedures for dogs is required., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to characterize the fecal microbiota of horses with acute and chronic diarrhea before and after fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Six client-owned horses with acute and chronic diarrhea received FMT from 2 healthy donor horses. Microbiota analysis using next-generation sequencing was performed on fecal samples collected before and 2 and 7 d after FMT. Signs of diarrhea improved in 4 horses, whereas the remaining 2 horses did not survive. There was a significant difference in the number of bacterial species between donors and recipients ( P < 0.05). The Order Lactobacillales and the genera Lactobacillus, Intestinimonas , and Streptococcus were increased in the microbiota of diarrheic horses, and Saccharofermentans genus increased in healthy donors. The results suggest that FMT from the healthy donors was not effective over a 7-day period as it did not change the fecal microbiota of the diarrheic horses. Further research to improve the efficacy of FMT in horses is needed., (Copyright and/or publishing rights held by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.)

A 7-year 6-month-old, castrated male Shiba dog presented with a 1-month history of lethargy, anorexia, vomiting, and frequent watery diarrhea. Weight loss, hypoalbuminemia, anemia, and leukocytosis were detected at the first visit. The dog was diagnosed with non-responsive enteropathy (NRE) based on clinical and histopathological examinations. Since the dog did not respond to the immunosuppressive drugs, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was performed during the treatment with chlorambucil. A single endoscopic FMT into the cecum and colon drastically recovered clinical signs and clinicopathological abnormalities and corrected dysbiosis in the dog. No recurrence or adverse events were observed. The present case report suggests that FMT, possibly together with chlorambucil, might be a treatment option for NRE in Shiba dogs that have poorer prognosis compared with other dog breeds.

Canine acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome (AHDS) has been associated in some studies with Clostridioides perfringens overgrowth and toxin-mediated necrosis of the intestinal mucosa. We aimed to determine the effect of a single fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on clinical scores and fecal microbiomes of 1 and 7 dogs with AHDS from New Zealand and South Africa. We hypothesized that FMT would improve AHDS clinical scores and increase microbiota alpha-diversity and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing microbial communities' abundances in dogs with AHDS after FMT. We sequenced the V3-V4 region of the 16S-rRNA gene in the feces of AHDS FMT-recipients and sham-treated control dogs, and their healthy donors at admission, discharge, and 30 days post-discharge. There were no significant differences in median AHDS clinical scores between FMT-recipients and sham-treated controls at admission or discharge (P = 0.22, P = 0.41). At admission, the Shannon diversity index (SDI) was lower in AHDS dogs than healthy donors (P = 0.002). The SDI did not change from admission to 30 days in sham-treated dogs yet increased in FMT-recipients from admission to discharge (P = 0.04) to levels not different than donors (P = 0.33) but significantly higher than sham-treated controls (P = 0.002). At 30 days, the SDI did not differ between FMT recipients, sham-treated controls, and donors (P = 0.88). Principal coordinate analysis of the Bray-Curtis index separated post-FMT and donor dogs from pre-FMT and sham-treated dogs (P = 0.009) because of increased SCFA-producing genera's abundances after FMT. A single co-abundance subnetwork contained many of the same OTUs found to be differentially abundant in FMT-recipients, and the abundance of this module was increased in FMT-recipients at discharge and 30 days, compared to sham-treated controls. We conclude in this small pilot study FMT did not have any clinical benefit. A single FMT procedure has the potential to increase bacterial communities of SCFA-producing genera important for intestinal health up to 30 days post-FMT., Competing Interests: Dr. Burchell’s current affiliation did not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. None of the authors have or had any conflict of interest with regards to conception, funding or execution of this study, analysis and interpretation of the results, or writing the manuscript of this study.

Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), a technique used to restore normal intestinal microbial communities, has been successful in treating humans with Clostridioides difficile colitis. Subsequently, FMT is being used in veterinary patients with suspected intestinal dysbiosis. Unfortunately, little data are available regarding best practices for FMT in horses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of storing manure prepared for equine FMT (MP-FMT) at -20°C for up to 4 weeks and passage through a simulated proximal gastrointestinal (GI) tract on the viability of MP-FMT. The results of this study indicate that storage at -20°C for greater than 1 week and exposure to conditions consistent with the proximal GI tract significantly decreased viability of the microbial population, with gram-negative enteric bacteria most significantly impacted. This preliminary evaluation indicates that further work is necessary to determine best practices to preserve the viability MP-FMT in horses., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Calf diarrhea is associated with enteric infections, and also provokes the overuse of antibiotics. Therefore, proper treatment of diarrhea represents a therapeutic challenge in livestock production and public health concerns. Here, we describe the ability of a fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), to ameliorate diarrhea and restore gut microbial composition in 57 growing calves. We conduct multi-omics analysis of 450 longitudinally collected fecal samples and find that FMT-induced alterations in the gut microbiota (an increase in the family Porphyromonadaceae) and metabolomic profile (a reduction in fecal amino acid concentration) strongly correlate with the remission of diarrhea. During the continuous follow-up study over 24 months, we find that FMT improves the growth performance of the cattle. This first FMT trial in ruminants suggest that FMT is capable of ameliorating diarrhea in pre-weaning calves with alterations in their gut microbiota, and that FMT may have a potential role in the improvement of growth performance.

In people, fecal microbiota transplantation is recognized as the best treatment modality for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection in people, and its value is currently investigated in the treatment of other diseases associated with an abnormal gut microbiome. In dogs, intestinal dysbiosis has been documented in many acute and chronic digestive diseases as well as in diseases of other organ systems. There are only few published studies evaluating the benefits of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in canine gastrointestinal disorders. They provide evidence that FMT may be beneficial in the treatment of acute intestinal diseases and hope that the technique might also be useful for the management of chronic enteropathies., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Disruption of microbial communities within human hosts has been associated with infection, obesity, cognitive decline, cancer risk and frailty, suggesting that microbiome-targeted therapies may be an option for improving healthspan and lifespan. The objectives of this study were to determine the feasibility of delivering fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs) to marmosets via oral gavage and to evaluate if alteration of the gut microbiome post-FMT could be achieved. This was a prospective study of marmosets housed at the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies in San Antonio, Texas. Eligible animals included healthy young adult males (age 2-5 years) with no recent medication use. Stool from two donors was combined and administered in 0.5 ml doses to five young recipients once weekly for 3 weeks. Safety outcomes and alterations in the gut microbiome composition via 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing were compared at baseline and monthly up to 6 months post-FMT. Overall, significant differences in the percent relative abundance was seen in FMT recipients at the phylum and family levels from baseline to 1 month and baseline to 6 months post-FMT. In permutational multivariate analysis of variance analyses, treatment status (donor vs. recipient) (p = .056) and time course (p = .019) predicted β diversity (p = .056). The FMT recipients did not experience any negative health outcomes over the course of the treatment. FMT via oral gavage was safe to administer to young adult marmosets. The marmoset microbiome may be altered by FMT; however, progressive changes in the microbiome are strongly driven by the host and its baseline microbiome composition., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

A deeper understanding of the microbiome could help inform individualised treatment for animals and, in the use of faecal microbiota transplantation, a practical application of such knowledge already exists., (British Veterinary Association.)

The concept of successional trajectories describes how small differences in initial community composition can magnify through time and lead to significant differences in mature communities. For many animals, the types and sources of early-life exposures to microbes have been shown to have significant and long-lasting effects on the community structure and/or function of the microbiome. In modern commercial poultry production, chicks are reared as a single age cohort and do not directly encounter adult birds. This scenario is likely to initiate a trajectory of microbial community development that is significantly different than non-industrial settings where chicks are exposed to a much broader range of environmental and fecal inocula; however, the comparative effects of these two scenarios on microbiome development and function remain largely unknown. In this work, we performed serial transfers of cecal material through multiple generations of birds to first determine if serial transfers exploiting the ceca in vivo, rather than the external environment or artificial incubations, can produce a stable microbial community. Subsequently, we compared microbiome development between chicks receiving this passaged, i.e. host-selected, cecal material orally, versus an environmental inoculum, to test the hypothesis that the first exposure of newly hatched chicks to microbes determines early GI microbiome structure and may have longer-lasting effects on bird health and development. Cecal microbiome dynamics and bird weights were tracked for a two-week period, with half of the birds in each treatment group exposed to a pathogen challenge at 7 days of age. We report that: i) a relatively stable community was derived after a single passage of transplanted cecal material, ii) this cecal inoculum significantly but ephemerally altered community structure relative to the environmental inoculum and PBS controls, and iii) either microbiome transplant administered at day-of-hatch appeared to have some protective effects against pathogen challenge relative to uninoculated controls. Differentially abundant taxa identified across treatment types may inform future studies aimed at identifying strains associated with beneficial phenotypes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Early weaning-induced stress causes diarrhoea, thereby reducing the growth performance of piglets. Gut bacterial dysbiosis has emerged as a leading cause of post-weaning diarrhoea. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of capsulized faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on the gut bacterial community, immune response and gut barrier function of piglets. Thirty-two weaned barrows were randomly divided into two groups. The recipient group was inoculated orally with capsulized faecal microbiota of healthy Tibetan pigs during the whole period of the trial, while the control group was given an empty capsule. The feed-to-gain ratio, diarrhoea ratio, and histological damage score of recipient piglets were significantly decreased. FMT treatment significantly increased the colon length of piglets. Furthermore, the relative abundances of Firmicutes, Euryarchaeota, Tenericutes, Lactobacillus, and Methanobrevibacter in the colon of recipient piglets were increased, and the relative abundances of Campylobacter and Proteobacteria were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group. CD4 + lymphocytes and CD4 + /CD8 + ratio in the peripheral blood of recipient piglets were significantly increased. FMT treatment increased the IL-4 and IL-10 levels and decreased the TNF-α and INF-γ levels in the colonic tissue of piglets. The recipient piglets' mRNA expression of TLR2, TLR8, NF-κB, and iNOS was significantly regulated. In addition, FMT significantly enhanced the gene expression of ZO-1. Overall, treatment with capsulized FMT ameliorated diarrhoea in piglets, with significant effects on limiting colon inflammatory responses, downregulating the TLR signalling pathway and the gene expression of iNOS, and strengthening intestinal barrier function by modulating the constituents of the gut microbiota.

The microbiota that resides in the digestive tract plays pivotal role in maintaining intestinal environmental stability by promoting nutrition digestion and intestinal mucosal immunity. However, whether the intestinal microbiota in laying hens affects egg laying- performance is not known. In this study, 16S rDNA gene sequencing and fecal microbiota transplantation were used to determine the structure of the intestinal microbiota and the effect of the intestinal microbiota on egg production. The results revealed that Firmicutes were dominant in both the H (high egg laying rates) and L (low egg laying rates) groups, while Bacteroides, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were significantly enriched in the L group compared to the H group. The laying rates were weakly affected in H hens transplanted with the fecal microbiota from L hens, except for temporary fluctuation, while the egg laying rates were significantly increased in L hens transplanted with the fecal microbiota from H hens. Therefore, we concluded that the population structure of the intestinal microbiota varied between the H and L groups, and the intestinal microbiota of high-yield laying hens had significant effects on low-yield laying hens performance., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest ‘None’., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Recently, increasing evidence supports that some complex diseases are not attributed to a given pathogen, but dysbiosis in the host intestinal microbiota (IM). The full intestinal ecosystem alterations, rather than a single pathogen, are associated with white feces syndrome (WFS), a globally severe non-infectious shrimp disease, while no experimental evidence to explore the causality. Herein, we conducted comprehensive metagenomic and metabolomic analysis, and intestinal microbiota transplantation (IMT) to investigate the causal relationship between IM dysbiosis and WFS., Results: Compared to the Control shrimp, we found dramatically decreased microbial richness and diversity in WFS shrimp. Ten genera, such as Vibrio, Candidatus Bacilloplasma, Photobacterium, and Aeromonas, were overrepresented in WFS, whereas 11 genera, including Shewanella, Chitinibacter, and Rhodobacter were enriched in control. The divergent changes in these populations might contribute the observation that a decline of pathways conferring lipoic acid metabolism and mineral absorption in WFS. Meanwhile, some sorts of metabolites, especially lipids and organic acids, were found to be related to the IM alteration in WFS. Integrated with multiomics and IMT, we demonstrated that significant alterations in the community composition, functional potentials, and metabolites of IM were closely linked to shrimp WFS. The distinguished metabolites which were attributed to the IM dysbiosis were validated by feed-supplementary challenge. Both homogenous selection and heterogeneous selection process were less pronounced in WFS microbial community assembly. Notably, IMT shrimp from WFS donors eventually developed WFS clinical signs, while the dysbiotic IM can be recharacterized in recipient shrimp., Conclusions: Collectively, our findings offer solid evidence of the causality between IM dysbiosis and shrimp WFS, which exemplify the 'microecological Koch's postulates' (an intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, a disease) in disease etiology, and inspire our cogitation on etiology from an ecological perspective. Video abstract.

As previous studies have demonstrated a link between the porcine intestinal microbiome and feed efficiency (FE), microbiota manipulation may offer a means of improving FE in pigs. A fecal microbiota transplantation procedure (FMTp), using fecal extracts from highly feed-efficient pigs, was performed in pregnant sows ( n  = 11), with a control group ( n  = 11) receiving no FMTp. At weaning, offspring were allocated, within sow treatment, to (i) control ( n  = 67; no dietary supplement) or (ii) inulin ( n  = 65; 6-week dietary inulin supplementation) treatments. The sow FMTp, alone or in combination with inulin supplementation in offspring, reduced offspring body weight by 8.1 to 10.6 kg at ∼140 days of age, but there was no effect on feed intake. It resulted in better FE, greater bacterial diversity, and higher relative abundances of potentially beneficial bacterial taxa ( Fibrobacter and Prevotella ) in offspring. Due to the FMTp and/or inulin supplementation, relative abundances of potential pathogens ( Chlamydia and Treponema ) in the ileum and cecal concentrations of butyric acid were significantly lower. The maternal FMTp led to a greater number of jejunal goblet cells in offspring. Inulin supplementation alone did not affect growth or FE but upregulated duodenal genes linked to glucose and volatile fatty acid homeostasis and increased the mean platelet volume but reduced ileal propionic acid concentrations, granulocyte counts, and serum urea concentrations. Overall, the FMTp in pregnant sows, with or without dietary inulin supplementation in offspring, beneficially modulated offspring intestinal microbiota (albeit mostly low-relative-abundance taxa) and associated physiological parameters. Although FE was improved, the detrimental effect on growth limits the application of this FMTp-inulin strategy in commercial pig production. IMPORTANCE As previous research suggests a link between microbiota and FE, modulation of the intestinal microbiome may be effective in improving FE in pigs. The FMTp in gestating sows, alone or in combination with postweaning dietary inulin supplementation in offspring, achieved improvements in FE and resulted in a higher relative abundance of intestinal bacteria associated with fiber degradation and a lower relative abundance of potential pathogens. However, there was a detrimental effect on growth, although this may not be wholly attributable to microbiota transplantation, as antibiotic and other interventions were also part of the FMT regimen. Therefore, further work with additional control groups is needed to disentangle the effects of each component of the FMTp in order to develop a regimen with practical applications in pig production. Additional research based on findings from this study may also identify specific dietary supplements for the promotion/maintenance of the microbiota transferred via the maternal FMTp, thereby optimizing pig growth and FE., (Copyright © 2019 American Society for Microbiology.)

In the present study we hypothesized that a higher degree of gut microbiota (GM) transfer and colonization could be reached by rectal inoculation compared to oral inoculation, which is commonly used in mouse studies for GM transfer. We treated C57BL/6NTac Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) mice with antibiotics and subsequently we inoculated these with GM from donor mice of the same strain by either the oral or the rectal inoculation method. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the colon microbiota showed no difference in microbial community on account of inoculation method as determined by unweighted UniFrac distance metrics in C57BL/6NTac SPF mice. In addition, qPCR analysis on colon tissue revealed no difference in mRNA expression between the inoculation methods. Next, the SPF mice were compared to germ-free (GF)-mice to identify differences in inoculation efficacy. Whether the mice were antibiotic treated SPF or GF clearly influenced GM determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing where the SPF mice experienced up-regulation of S24-7 (p = .0001) and a decrease in Rikenellaceae (p = .016) compared to GF mice. qPCR analysis on colon tissue revealed up-regulation in mRNA gene expression of Il6, Il10, Reg3g and transcription factor RORγt (Rorc) in GF mice compared to SPF mice on a significant level (p < .05). This gene expression profile is consistent with post colonization development of the intestinal barrier in GF mice., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Recent studies indicate that early postnatal period is a critical window for gut microbiota manipulation to optimise the immunity and body growth. This study investigated the effects of maternal faecal microbiota orally administered to neonatal piglets after birth on growth performance, selected microbial populations, intestinal permeability and the development of intestinal mucosal immune system. In total, 12 litters of crossbred newborn piglets were selected in this study. Litter size was standardised to 10 piglets. On day 1, 10 piglets in each litter were randomly allotted to the faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and control groups. Piglets in the FMT group were orally administrated with 2ml faecal suspension of their nursing sow per day from the age of 1 to 3 days; piglets in the control group were treated with the same dose of a placebo (0.1M potassium phosphate buffer containing 10% glycerol (vol/vol)) inoculant. The experiment lasted 21 days. On days 7, 14 and 21, plasma and faecal samples were collected for the analysis of growth-related hormones and cytokines in plasma and lipocalin-2, secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), selected microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in faeces. Faecal microbiota transplantation increased the average daily gain of piglets during week 3 and the whole experiment period. Compared with the control group, the FMT group had increased concentrations of plasma growth hormone and IGF-1 on days 14 and 21. Faecal microbiota transplantation also reduced the incidence of diarrhoea during weeks 1 and 3 and plasma concentrations of zonulin, endotoxin and diamine oxidase activities in piglets on days 7 and 14. The populations of Lactobacillus spp. and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and the concentrations of faecal and plasma acetate, butyrate and total SCFAs in FMT group were higher than those in the control group on day 21. Moreover, the FMT piglets have higher concentrations of plasma transforming growth factor-β and immunoglobulin G, and faecal sIgA than the control piglets on day 21. These findings indicate that early intervention with maternal faecal microbiota improves growth performance, decreases intestinal permeability, stimulates sIgA secretion, and modulates gut microbiota composition and metabolism in suckling piglets.

This study examined gut colonization patterns and host responses to fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) by different administration routes after preterm birth. In two separate experiments, cesarean-delivered, preterm pigs were administered combined oral + rectal, or exclusively rectal donor feces, and compared with saline controls. After 5 days, stomach and colon bacterial compositions were determined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and organic acid metabolites measured. Further, gut pathology, mucosa bacterial adherence, and goblet cell density were assessed. FMT increased the relative abundance of obligate anaerobes in the colon without affecting total bacterial load. Bacteroides colonized recipients despite low abundance in the donor feces, whereas highly abundant Prevotella and Ruminococcaceae did not. Further, FMT changed carbohydrate metabolism from lactate to propionate production thereby increasing colonic pH. Besides, FMT preserved goblet cell mucin stores and reduced necrotizing enterocolitis incidence. Only rectal FMT increased the stomach-to-colon pH gradient and resistance to mucosa bacterial adhesion. Conversely, oral + rectal FMT increased bacterial adhesion, internal organ colonization, and overall mortality. Our results uncovered distinctions in bacterial colonization patterns along the gastrointestinal tract, as well as host tolerability between oral and rectal FMT administration in preterm newborns. Besides, FMT showed the potential to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis.

Background: Successful clinical outcomes of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection have been reported in humans and a marmoset. However, it has been unclear whether oral FMT was effective for the treatment of C. difficile-associated diarrhoea in dogs., Case Presentation: An 8-month-old, intact male French bulldog was presented with a 4-month history of intermittent large bowel diarrhoea. Physical and clinical examinations did not identify any specific causes for diarrhoea. Real-time PCR analysis and immunochromatography detected C. difficile antigen and toxin A&B genes and proteins in a faecal sample. Based on these findings, diarrhoea in the dog was considered to be induced by C. difficile-associated colitis. The dog was treated with oral FMT, in which a faecal solution obtained from a healthy beagle was orally administered to the subject. Stool consistency and frequency and faecal blood and mucus became normal 2-3 days after oral FMT, and real-time PCR analysis and immunochromatography was negative for C. difficile antigen and toxin A&B genes and proteins. No adverse events were observed., Conclusion: The present case report demonstrated that oral FMT was an effective treatment for C. difficile-associated diarrhoea in a dog. The findings in this report provide a rationale to evaluate clinical efficacy of oral FMT for other gastrointestinal diseases in dogs.

Background: Diarrhea associated with parvovirus infection is common in dogs. Supportive care is the mainstay of treatment, but recovery may be prolonged and mortality rate can be high. Modification of the intestinal bacterial microbiota has been promising in human and veterinary medicine as an adjunctive treatment of various enteric diseases., Objectives: To investigate the safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on the clinical recovery of puppies with acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome., Animals: Sixty-six puppies with parvovirus infection were evaluated at 2 veterinary hospitals., Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Puppies were randomly distributed into 2 groups: standard treatment (STD) and standard treatment + FMT (STD + FMT). The STD puppies (n = 33) received only treatment with IV fluids and antimicrobials and the STD + FMT puppies (n = 33) received FMT in addition to standard treatment. For FMT, 10 g of feces from a healthy dog diluted in 10 mL of saline were administered rectally 6-12 hours post-admission., Results: Among survivors, treatment with FMT was associated with faster resolution of diarrhea (P < .001) and shorter hospitalization time (P = .001; median, 3 days in STD + FMT; median, 6 days in STD) compared to standard treatment. Mortality in STD was 36.4% (12/33) as compared to 21.2% (7/33) in puppies treated with FMT, but there was no statistical difference between groups (P = .174). Polymerase chain reaction indicated that all animals carried canine parvovirus, strain CPV-2b., Conclusions: Fecal microbiota transplantation in parvovirus-infected puppies was associated with faster resolution of diarrhea., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

There is a large and emerging interest in the role of the gastrointestinal microbiota in health and disease. This paper serves to review the current knowledge and recommendations of the gastrointestinal microbiota in health and gastrointestinal disease. Further, this review evaluates the current literature and suggests guidelines for faecal microbial transplantation, a novel therapy for dysbiosis in veterinary medicine., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Background: The common marmoset has been used as an experimental animal for various purposes. Because its average weight ranges from 250 to 500 g, weight loss quickly becomes critical for sick animals. Therefore, effective and non-stressful treatment for chronic diseases, including diarrhoea, is essential., Case Presentation: We report a case in which faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) led to immediate recovery from chronic and recurrent diarrhoea caused by Clostridium difficile infection. A male common marmoset experienced chronic diarrhoea after antibiotic treatments. The animal experienced severe weight loss, and a faecal sample was confirmed to be C. difficile-positive but was negative for protozoa. Metronidazole was partially effective at the first administration but not after the recurrence of the clinical signs. Then, oral FMT was administered to the subject by feeding fresh faeces from healthy individuals mixed with the marmoset's usual food. We monitored the faeces by categorization into four groups: normal, loose, diarrhoea, and watery. After the first day of FMT treatment, the marmoset underwent a remarkable recovery from diarrhoea, and after the fourth day of treatment, a test for C. difficile was negative. The clinical signs did not recur. The marmoset recovered from sinusitis and bilateral dacryocystitis, which also did not recur, as a by-product of the improvement in its general health caused by the cessation of diarrhoea after the FMT., Conclusion: This is the first reported case of successful treatment of a marmoset using oral FMT. As seen in human patients, FMT was effective for the treatment of recurrent C. difficile infection in a captive marmoset.

Background: The present study was conducted to compare the differences in gut microbiota composition and gut-phenotypes among pig breeds, and determine whether these differences would transmit to mice colonized with fecal microbiota of different pig breeds. A total of 24 1-day-old germ-free BALB/C mice were divided into 3 groups (TFM, YFM and RFM), which were transplanted with intact fecal microbiota of Tibetan pig (TP), Yorkshire pig (YP) and Rongchang pig (RP), respectively., Results: Results showed that different pig breeds exhibited distinct gut microbiota profile based on high-throughput pyrosequencing. YP exhibited a lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and apparent genera differences compared with RP and TP, and higher levels of bacteria from Spirochaetes were observed in TP compared with RP and YP (P < 0.05). Transplanted porcine microbiota into GF mice replicated the phenotypes of pig donors. Moreover, the three groups of donor pigs and their mice recipients exhibited different intestinal index and morphology. TP and RP had higher intestinal weight and relative CDX2 mRNA expression in ileum than YP, and longer intestine, higher villus height of duodenum and jejunum were observed in TP compared with YP and RP (P < 0.05). TP exhibited higher GLP-2 mRNA expression in duodenum and jejunum than RP (P < 0.05). Similarly, YFM had lower intestine weight and CDX2 mRNA expression in ileum than TFM and RFM (P < 0.05). The intestine length in TFM was longer than that in RFM, and TFM had higher villus height in duodenum and jejunum and GLP-2 mRNA expression in ileum than the other two groups (P < 0.05). Besides, the digestive and absorptive ability was different among the three groups in donor pigs and mice recipients. YP had higher jejunal lactase and maltase activities than TP and RP, while TP had higher activities of jejunal ATPase, γ-GT, and relative SGLT1 mRNA expression in duodenum and jejunum than YP and RP (P < 0.05). Likewise, YFM had higher jejunal sucrase and maltase activities than TFM and RFM, whereas higher jejunal γ-GT activity and relative SGLT1 mRNA expression in duodenum and ileum were observed in TFM compared with YFM and RFM (P < 0.05). In addition, Tibetan pigs-derived microbiota improved gut barrier in mice recipients. The concentration of MDA in YP was higher than that in TP and RP (P = 0.078), and the relative ZO-1 mRNA expression in ileum in TP was higher than that in YP (P < 0.05). Likely, compared with TFM and RFM, YFM exhibited increasing MDA concentration in jejunum (P = 0.098), and the relative ZO-1 mRNA expression in duodenum and ileum in TFM were higher than that in YFM (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: There were huge differences in gut microbiota composition and gut characteristics among pig breeds, and gut microbiota could partially convey host gut characteristics from pigs to mice.