The vaginal microbiome is believed to influence host health by providing protection from pathogens and influencing reproductive outcomes such as fertility and gestational length. In humans, age-associated declines in diversity of the vaginal microbiome occur in puberty and persist into adulthood. Additionally, menstruation has been associated with decreased microbial community stability. Adult female baboons, like other non-human primates (NHPs), have a different and highly diverse vaginal microbiome compared to that of humans, which is most commonly dominated by Lactobacillus spp. We evaluated the influence of age, reproductive cycling status (cycling vs. non-cycling) and menstruation on the vaginal microbiome of 38 wild-caught, captive female olive baboons (Papio anubis) by culture-independent sequencing of the V3–V5 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. All baboons had highly diverse vaginal microbial communities. Adult baboons had significantly lower microbial diversity in comparison to subadult baboons, which was attributable to decreased relative abundance of minor taxa. No significant differences were detected based on cycling state or menstruation. Predictive metagenomic analysis showed uniformity in relative abundance of metabolic pathways regardless of age, cycle stage, or menstruation, indicating conservation of microbial community functions. This study suggests that selection of an optimal vaginal microbial community occurs at puberty. Since decreased diversity occurs in both baboons and humans at puberty, this may reflect a general strategy for selection of adult vaginal microbial communities. Comparative evaluation of vaginal microbial community development and composition may elucidate mechanisms of community formation and function that are conserved across host species or across microbial community types. These findings have implications for host health, evolutionary biology, and microbe-host ecosystems.

ObjectiveThis study aims to demonstrate the effect of oral doxycycline on fecal microbiota of mice. Doxycycline is a common effector for control of gene expression using the tet-inducible system in transgenic mice. The effect of oral doxycycline on murine gut microbiota has not been reported. We evaluated the effect of doxycycline treatment by sequencing the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene from fecal samples collected during a 4 week course of treatment at a dose of 2 mg/ml in the drinking water.ResultsThe fecal microbiota of treated animals were distinct from control animals; the decreased richness and diversity were characterized primarily by Bacteroides sp. enrichment. These effects persisted when the treatment was temporarily discontinued for 1 week. These data suggest that doxycycline treatment can induce significant dysbiosis, and its effects should be considered when used in animal models that are or maybe sensitive to perturbation of the gut microbiota.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-017-2960-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Use of a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) in humans may alter vaginal microbial populations and susceptibility to pathogens. This study evaluated the time-dependent effects of an LNG-IUS on the vaginal microbiome of the baboon, a useful animal model for reproductive studies. Methods LNG-IUS were inserted into three reproductively mature, female baboons. The animals were evaluated for six months by physical examination and Gram-stained cytology. The vaginal microbiota was characterized at each timepoint by culture-independent analysis of the16S rRNA-encoding gene. Results Each baboon harbored a diverse vaginal microbiome. Inter-individual variation exceeded intra-individual variation. Diversity declined over time in one baboon and showed mild fluctuations in the other two. There were no significant community differences from early to late post LNG-IUS placement. Conclusions The baboon vaginal microbiome is unique to each individual and is polymicrobial. In this pilot study, the vaginal microbiome remained stable from early to late post LNG-IUS placement.

Polymer-free stents coated with SES or SES+ED result in less robust neointimal suppression but markedly improved arterial healing compared with CDES in the rabbit model.