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Metataxonomic and Histopathological Study of Rabbit Epizootic Enteropathy in Mexico
Xiao-Haitzi Daniel Puón-Peláez1, Neil Ross McEwan2, José Guadalupe Gómez-Soto3
1Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Avenida de las Ciencias S/N Juriquilla, Delegación Santa Rosa Jáuregui, Santiago de Querétaro, Qro. C.P. 76230, Mexico.
Abstract:
Epizootic rabbit enteropathy (ERE) affects young rabbits and represents 32% of the enteropathies in rabbit production farms in Mexico. The etiology of this syndrome has not been clarified yet. A metataxonomic and histopathology study of ERE was carried out to compare the gastrointestinal microbiota and histopathological lesions of healthy and positive-ERE rabbits. The metataxonomic study was done using an Illumina MiSeq (MiSeq® system, Illumina, San Diego California, USA) massive segmentation platform, and a Divisive Amplicon Denoising Algorithm 2 (DADA2 algorithm) was used to obtain Shannon and Simpson diversity indices as well as the relative abundance of the identified communities. For the histopathological study, paraffin sections of the cecum, ileo-cecal valve, and colon were stained with eosin and hematoxylin. AxioVision 4.9 software (Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH, Jena, Germany) was used to measure the crypt depths. Statistical analysis was done using PERMANOVA analysis for the metataxonomic study and ANOVA for the histopathology study. Histopathologic analysis showed smaller sizes of crypts in the colon of ERE rabbits. Differences were observed in the diversity and abundance of the gastrointestinal microbiota between the analyzed groups. The genus Clostridium and the species Cloacibacillus porcorum and Akkermansia muciniphila were associated with ERE. The results obtained from this study can provide information for future clarification of the etiology and proposals of effective treatments.
Insights
Epizootic rabbit enteropathy (ERE) in young rabbits is linked to changes in gut bacteria and smaller colon crypts. This study identifies specific bacteria associated with ERE, aiding future treatment development.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
- Animal Pathology
Background:
- Epizootic rabbit enteropathy (ERE) is a significant cause of enteropathy in rabbit production, particularly in Mexico.
- The exact cause of ERE remains unclear, necessitating further investigation into its etiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the gastrointestinal microbiota and histopathological features of healthy rabbits versus those with ERE.
- To identify microbial and pathological differences associated with ERE.
Main Methods:
- Metataxonomic analysis using Illumina MiSeq and the DADA2 algorithm to assess gut microbial diversity and abundance.
- Histopathological examination of cecum, ileo-cecal valve, and colon, including crypt depth measurements.
- Statistical analysis using PERMANOVA for microbiota and ANOVA for histopathology.
Main Results:
- Histopathology revealed reduced colon crypt sizes in rabbits with ERE.
- Significant differences in the diversity and abundance of gastrointestinal microbiota were observed between healthy and ERE rabbits.
- The bacterial genera *Clostridium* and species *Cloacibacillus porcorum* and *Akkermansia muciniphila* were associated with ERE.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights distinct microbial and histopathological profiles in rabbits affected by ERE.
- Findings provide crucial data for understanding ERE etiology and developing targeted therapeutic strategies.
