High sugar diet alters immune function and the gut microbiome in juvenile green iguanas (Iguana iguana).
J Exp Biol
; 227(13)2024 Jul 01.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38804667
ABSTRACT
The present work aimed to study whether a high sugar diet can alter immune responses and the gut microbiome in green iguanas. Thirty-six iguanas were split into four treatment groups using a 2×2 design. Iguanas received either a sugar-supplemented diet or a control diet, and either a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection or a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) injection. Iguanas were given their respective diet treatment through the entire study (â¼3â
months) and received a primary immune challenge 1 and 2 months into the experiment. Blood samples and cloacal swabs were taken at various points in the experiment and used to measure changes in the immune system (bacterial killing ability, lysis and agglutination scores, LPS-specific IgY concentrations), and alterations in the gut microbiome. We found that a sugar diet reduces bacterial killing ability following an LPS challenge, and sugar and the immune challenge temporarily alters gut microbiome composition while reducing alpha diversity. Although sugar did not directly reduce lysis and agglutination following the immune challenge, the change in these scores over a 24-h period following an immune challenge was more drastic (it decreased) relative to the control diet group. Moreover, sugar increased constitutive agglutination outside of the immune challenges (i.e. pre-challenge levels). In this study, we provide evidence that a high sugar diet affects the immune system of green iguanas (in a disruptive manner) and alters the gut microbiome.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Dieta
/
Microbioma Gastrointestinal
/
Iguanas
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Exp Biol
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos