Open AccessC‐section increases cecal abundance of the archetypal bile acid and glucocorticoid modifying Lachnoclostridium [clostridium] scindens in mice
Author(s) -
Adams Sean H.,
Wright Rachel,
Piccolo Brian D.,
Moody Becky,
Sikes James,
Avaritt Nathan,
Chintapalli Sree V.,
Ou Xiawei
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
physiological reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2051-817X
DOI - 10.14814/phy2.15363
Subject(s) - biology , context (archaeology) , microbiome , beta diversity , species richness , metagenomics , gut flora , ruminococcus , alpha diversity , glucocorticoid , zoology , ecology , physiology , immunology , genetics , paleontology , gene
In humans and animal models, Cesarean section (C‐section) has been associated with alterations in the taxonomic structure of the gut microbiome. These changes in microbiota populations are hypothesized to impact immune, metabolic, and behavioral/neurologic systems and others. It is not clear if birth mode inherently changes the microbiome, or if C‐section effects are context‐specific and involve interactions with environmental and other factors. To address this and control for potential confounders, cecal microbiota from ~3 week old mice born by C‐section ( n = 16) versus natural birth ( n = 23) were compared under matched conditions for housing, cross‐fostering, diet, sex, and genetic strain. A total of 601 unique species were detected across all samples. Alpha diversity richness (i.e., how many species within sample; Chao1) and evenness/dominance (i.e., Shannon, Simpson, Inverse Simpson) metrics revealed no significant differences by birth mode. Beta diversity (i.e., differences between samples), as estimated with Bray‐Curtis dissimilarities and Aitchison distances (using log[ x + 1]‐transformed counts), was also not significantly different (Permutational Multivariate ANOVA [PERMANOVA]). Only the abundance of Lachnoclostridium [ Clostridium] scindens was found to differ using a combination of statistical methods (ALDEx2, DESeq2), being significantly higher in C‐section mice. This microbe has been implicated in secondary bile acid production and regulation of glucocorticoid metabolism to androgens. From our results and the extant literature we conclude that C‐section does not inherently lead to large‐scale shifts in gut microbiota populations, but birth mode could modulate select bacteria in a context‐specific manner: For example, involving factors associated with pre‐, peri‐, and postpartum environments, diet or host genetics.