Gut microbes and serum metabolomics in canine with diabetes mellitus
Enteric microbial dysbiosis contributes to the pathobiology of canine diabetes mellitus (DM) in several ways, including interference with the host metabolism, promotion of inflammation, and altered incretin hormone responses. Enriching and diversifying an unbalanced gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) may help improve gut function and glycemic control of diabetic dogs. The results presented herein are part of a larger prospective randomized, place-controlled, double blinded clinical study that evaluated the effects of FMT on diabetic dogs compared to placebo treatment. My objective was to determine the differences in the serum metabolomes of diabetic dogs treated with FMT and placebo for 8 weeks. I also assessed the effect of treatment with FMT or placebo on the levels of interstitial glucose (IG) and 24-hour water intake. Twelve DM dogs (6 in the FMT group and 6 in the placebo group) were enrolled. The marginal mean +SE of IG after 8 weeks of treatment was lower in the FMT dog group (286 mg/dL +22) compared to the placebo dog group (309 mg/dL +22; p=0.468). The marginal mean IG of the FMT dog group was lower compared to the placebo dog group at every time point, except for week five. The marginal mean (+SE) log 24-hour water intake of the FMT dog group was significantly lower compared to the placebo group (1.64 +0.07 and 1.87 +0.07, respectively; p=0.024). A significant difference in groups of metabolites that play important roles in canine carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism was noted between the FMT dog group and the placebo dog group. This study was the first to investigate the serum metabolome of diabetic dogs treated with FMT and my results suggest that FMT had a significant effect on the metabolism of diabetic dogs and a modest improvement of glycemic control. Additional mechanistic studies informed by the results of this metabolomic investigation are needed to better our understanding of how the manipulation of enteric microbial dysbiosis influences the course of diabetes in dogs.
Canine Diabetes Mellitus, Fecal Microbial Transplantation, Serum Metabolomics, Dysbiosis, Incretin Hormones, Glycemic Control, Water Intake
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign