The fecal metabolome and microbiome are altered in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy dogs
Abstract Idiopathic epilepsy (IE) is the most common chronic neurological disease in dogs, and a natural animal model for human epilepsy types with genetic and unknown etiology. The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) is a promising target for improving brain health in individuals where brain function...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09919-7 |
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| author | Fien Verdoodt Myriam Hesta Evy Goossens Filip Van Immerseel Jenifer Molina Luc Van Ham Lynn Vanhaecke Lieselot Y. Hemeryck Sofie F.M. Bhatti |
| author_facet | Fien Verdoodt Myriam Hesta Evy Goossens Filip Van Immerseel Jenifer Molina Luc Van Ham Lynn Vanhaecke Lieselot Y. Hemeryck Sofie F.M. Bhatti |
| author_sort | Fien Verdoodt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Idiopathic epilepsy (IE) is the most common chronic neurological disease in dogs, and a natural animal model for human epilepsy types with genetic and unknown etiology. The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) is a promising target for improving brain health in individuals where brain function is hampered. It’s role in the pathophysiology of epilepsy remains however unclear. We aimed to identify differences in fecal metabolome and microbiome between healthy and dogs with IE. To this purpose, fecal samples of healthy (n = 39) and dogs with IE (n = 49) were metabolically profiled (n = 148 metabolites) and fingerprinted (n = 3690 features) using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and the bacterial phylogeny examined using 16 S rRNA sequencing. Dogs with IE were categorized as drug-resistant (DR) (n = 27) or mild phenotype (MP) (n = 22). In dogs with DR IE compared to healthy, fecal metabolites such as histamine (P = 0.022) and microbiome genera such as Escherichia-Shigella (P = 0.021) increased, associated with a proinflammatory environment. In dogs with MP IE compared to healthy, alterations associated with anti-inflammatory properties, such as increased fecal serotonin (P = 0.034) and Blautia hominis (P = 0.012) were revealed. Overall, a role for the MGBA communication in canine IE was established. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-820192579c1f497e95e6bf8fc9e36dda |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-820192579c1f497e95e6bf8fc9e36dda2025-08-20T04:03:00ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111510.1038/s41598-025-09919-7The fecal metabolome and microbiome are altered in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy dogsFien Verdoodt0Myriam Hesta1Evy Goossens2Filip Van Immerseel3Jenifer Molina4Luc Van Ham5Lynn Vanhaecke6Lieselot Y. Hemeryck7Sofie F.M. Bhatti8Equine and Companion Animal Nutrition, Department of Morphology, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent UniversityEquine and Companion Animal Nutrition, Department of Morphology, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent UniversityLivestock Gut Health Team (LiGHT) Ghent, Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent UniversityLivestock Gut Health Team (LiGHT) Ghent, Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent UniversityNestlé Purina PetCare EUROPESmall Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent UniversityLaboratory of Integrative Metabolomics (LIMET), Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent UniversityLaboratory of Integrative Metabolomics (LIMET), Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent UniversitySmall Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent UniversityAbstract Idiopathic epilepsy (IE) is the most common chronic neurological disease in dogs, and a natural animal model for human epilepsy types with genetic and unknown etiology. The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) is a promising target for improving brain health in individuals where brain function is hampered. It’s role in the pathophysiology of epilepsy remains however unclear. We aimed to identify differences in fecal metabolome and microbiome between healthy and dogs with IE. To this purpose, fecal samples of healthy (n = 39) and dogs with IE (n = 49) were metabolically profiled (n = 148 metabolites) and fingerprinted (n = 3690 features) using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and the bacterial phylogeny examined using 16 S rRNA sequencing. Dogs with IE were categorized as drug-resistant (DR) (n = 27) or mild phenotype (MP) (n = 22). In dogs with DR IE compared to healthy, fecal metabolites such as histamine (P = 0.022) and microbiome genera such as Escherichia-Shigella (P = 0.021) increased, associated with a proinflammatory environment. In dogs with MP IE compared to healthy, alterations associated with anti-inflammatory properties, such as increased fecal serotonin (P = 0.034) and Blautia hominis (P = 0.012) were revealed. Overall, a role for the MGBA communication in canine IE was established.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09919-7EpilepsyGut-Brain-AxisMetabolomicsMicrobiomeCanine |
| spellingShingle | Fien Verdoodt Myriam Hesta Evy Goossens Filip Van Immerseel Jenifer Molina Luc Van Ham Lynn Vanhaecke Lieselot Y. Hemeryck Sofie F.M. Bhatti The fecal metabolome and microbiome are altered in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy dogs Scientific Reports Epilepsy Gut-Brain-Axis Metabolomics Microbiome Canine |
| title | The fecal metabolome and microbiome are altered in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy dogs |
| title_full | The fecal metabolome and microbiome are altered in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy dogs |
| title_fullStr | The fecal metabolome and microbiome are altered in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy dogs |
| title_full_unstemmed | The fecal metabolome and microbiome are altered in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy dogs |
| title_short | The fecal metabolome and microbiome are altered in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy dogs |
| title_sort | fecal metabolome and microbiome are altered in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy dogs |
| topic | Epilepsy Gut-Brain-Axis Metabolomics Microbiome Canine |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09919-7 |
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