Study on the effect of koumiss on the intestinal microbiota of mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide food-borne parasite that can infect almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans. To date, there are no effective drugs to prevent or eradicate T. gondii infection. Recent studies have shown that probiotics could influence the relationship between the microbiota and parasites in the host. Koumiss has been used to treat many diseases based on its probiotic diversity. Therefore, we explored the effect of koumiss on T. gondii infection via its effect on the host intestinal microbiota. BALB/c mice were infected with T. gondii and treated with PBS, koumiss and mares’ milk. Brain cysts were counted, and long-term changes in the microbiota and the effect of koumiss on gut microbiota were investigated with high-throughput sequencing technology. The results suggested that koumiss treatment significantly decreased the cyst counts in the brain (P < 0.05). Moreover, T. gondii infection changed the microbiota composition, and koumiss treatment increased the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Akkermansia muciniphila, which were associated with preventing T. gondii infection. Moreover, koumiss could inhibit or ameliorate T. gondii infection by increasing the abundance of certain bacteria that control unique metabolic pathways. The study not only established a close interaction among the host, intracellular pathogens and intestinal microbiota but also provided a novel focus for drug development to prevent and eradicate T. gondii infection.

Changes of gut microbiota structure in rats infected with Toxoplasma gondii

“…Yan et al. found that A. muciniphila significantly increased in the guts of T. gondii infected mice after koumiss treatment ( Yan et al., 2022 ), thus suggesting that bacteria were involved in the prevention of T. gondii infection. In addition, Liu et al.…”

“…A variety of diseases, including metabolic syndrome, autoimmune, and cancer, have been reported to be associated with A. muciniphila abundance (Olson et al, 2018;Blacher et al, 2019;Derosa et al, 2022). Yan et al found that A. muciniphila significantly increased in the guts of T. gondii infected mice after koumiss treatment (Yan et al, 2022), thus suggesting that bacteria were involved in the prevention of T. gondii infection. In addition, Liu et al reported that A. muciniphila abundance was elevated in the guts of mice infected with Trichinella spiralis (Liu et al, 2021).…”

Microbiome-Metabolomics Analysis of the Impacts of Cryptosporidium muris Infection in BALB/C Mice

“…Many studies have shown that the gut microbiota is critical for intestinal homeostasis and that various intestinal and extraintestinal diseases are associated with dysbiosis ( 8 , 9 ). Individuals are more susceptible to opportunistic pathogens, such as Cryptosporidium , when their gut microbiota is dysregulated ( 10 – 12 ).…”

Study on the antagonistic effects of koumiss on Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice

“…The 16S rRNA genes were amplified with specific primers with barcodes. The PCR primers and conditions were performed as described previously ( 28 ). The PCR products were determined by 2% agarose gel electrophoresis and purified with a Qiagen Gel Extraction Kit (Qiagen, Germany).…”