Effects of sex and chronic cigarette smoke exposure on the mouse cecal microbiome

Chronic smoke exposure is associated with weight loss in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). However, the biological contribution of chronic smoking and sex on the cecal microbiome has not been previously investigated.

Adult male, female and ovariectomized mice were exposed to air (control group) or smoke for six months using a standard nose-only smoke exposure system. DNA was extracted from the cecal content using the QIAGEN QIAamp® DNA Mini Kit. Droplet digital PCR was used to generate total 16S bacterial counts, followed by Illumina MiSeq® analysis to determine microbial community composition. The sequencing data were resolved into Amplicon Sequence Variants and analyzed with the use of QIIME2®. Alpha diversity measures (Richness, Shannon Index, Evenness and Faith's Phylogenetic Diversity) and beta diversity (based on Bray-Curtis distances) were assessed and compared according to smoke exposure and sex.

The microbial community was different between male and female mice, while ovariectomy made the cecal microbiome similar to that of male mice. Chronic smoke exposure led to significant changes in the cecal microbial community in both male and female mice. The organism, Alistipes, was the most consistent bacteria identified at the genus level in the cecal content that was reduced with chronic cigarette exposure and its expression was positively related to the whole-body weight of these mice.

Chronic smoke exposure is associated with changes in the cecal content microbiome; these changes may play a role in the weight changes that are observed in cigarette smokers.