Maternal microbiome during pregnancy and their impact on the canine microbiome in neonates

Abstract

The long-standing hypothesis that the neonatal microbiome is acquired during and after birth has been challenged by recent studies in humans using advanced molecular technologies, which identified bacteria and bacterial DNA and RNA in amniotic fluid, placenta, and meconium. Similar studies have recently been conducted on canine neonates, giving a description of the gut microbiota of newborn puppies and a comparison of different types of parturition on theirdevelopment. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of microbiome and microbial alterations in the canine gut, vagina and oral cavity throughout pregnancy, and their effects on the microbiome of the placenta and the meconium in neonatal puppies. We further compare the microbiome knowledge gained in the last decade on human neonates and draw parallels with canine pregnancy and the neonatal microbiome.

Aerobic Vaginal Microflora in Gestational and Non-Gestational Bitches (Canis lupus familiaris)

“…Moreover, literature research shows that the mammalian vagina contains a site-specific microbiota that holds a regulator and/or a drive essential role in many physiological and pathological processes in genital and reproductive health [24]. However, it is also shown that the vagina is much higher in richness but lower in diversity than the endometrium [5,21]. Interestingly, in the present study, the diversity of vaginal strains was richest in the postpartum group compared to the LSG group.…”

“…However, about 60% of the species in the vagina belong to the Hydrotalea, Ralstonia, Fusobacterium, or the Mycoplasma and Streptococcus genera [2, 5,10,20,21]. Nevertheless, concerning these reported data, our study identified only strains from the Burkholderia genera (i.e., Burkholderia cepacia).…”

“…However, a variety in quantity and type of bacteria between different estrous cycle stages [2] is noticed, especially for females in estrus, where the richness in diversity of the vaginal strains is at the top [5,21]. For OHE or infertile bitches, E. coli, S. pseudintermedius, and S. canis are the predominant strains identified [10,15,23,25].…”