Abstract
Like many hibernators, the 13-lined ground squirrel fasts during winter. The loss of food intake not only affects the hibernator’s gut structure and function but also has the potential to modify the resident gut microbiota. Here we examined the effect of hibernation on numbers of cecal microbes, microbial production of short chain fatty acids, intestinal macromolecular permeability, and expression of the tight junction protein occludin. Compared with the active season, bacteria detected by probes specific for Lactobacillus–Enterococcus and Eubacteria–Clostridium groups were reduced during hibernation but the Bacteroides–Prevotella group was less affected. Cecal concentrations of short chain fatty acids were similar in active season squirrels, aroused hibernators, and hibernators in early torpor, but lower in late torpor. Gut permeability to a macromolecular marker increased during hibernation, as did tight junction localization and phosphorylation of occludin. The results suggest that hibernation selectively alters the gut microbiota, possibly reflecting differential sensitivity to loss of dietary polysaccharides. Hibernation impairs intestinal barrier function, which may require compensatory mechanisms to enhance tight junctional integrity and thus maintain a healthy relationship of the hibernator host with its resident gut microbiota until food intake resumes in the spring.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Michael Grahn for assistance with animal care, and Dr. Glen Broderick (USDA Dairy Forage Research Center, Madison, WI) for SCFA analyses. This work was supported in part by funds from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.
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Carey, H.V. et al. (2012). Impact of Hibernation on Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Barrier Function in Ground Squirrels. In: Ruf, T., Bieber, C., Arnold, W., Millesi, E. (eds) Living in a Seasonal World. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28678-0_25
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28678-0_25
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