Increased fecal viral content associated with obesity in mice

To investigate the presence of total gut viral content in obese mice, and establish correlation with obesity associated metabolic measures and gut microbiome.

Fresh fecal samples were collected from normal and obese (Leptin deficient: Lep(ob/ob)) mice. Total viral DNA and RNA was isolated and quantified for establishing the correlation with metabolic measures and composition of gut bacterial communities.

In this report, we found that obese mice feces have higher viral contents in terms of total viral DNA and RNA (P < 0.001). Interestingly, these increased viral DNA and RNA content were tightly correlated with metabolic measures, i.e., body weight, fat mass and fasting blood glucose. Total viral content were positively correlated with firmicutes (R(2) > 0.6), whilst negatively correlated with bacteroidetes and bifidobacteria.

This study suggests the strong correlation of increased viral population into the gut of obese mice and opens new avenues to explore the role of gut virome in pathophysiology of obesity.