The interplay between PCOS pathology and diet on gut microbiota in a mouse model

Valentina Rodriguez Paris; Xin Yi Denise Wong; Samantha M Solon-Biet; Melissa C Edwards; Ali Aflatounian; Robert B Gilchrist; Stephen J Simpson; David J Handelsman; Nadeem O Kaakoush; Kirsty A Walters

doi:10.1080/19490976.2022.2085961

The interplay between PCOS pathology and diet on gut microbiota in a mouse model

Gut Microbes. 2022 Jan-Dec;14(1):2085961. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2022.2085961.

Affiliations

¹ a Fertility & Research Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
² Fertility & Research Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
³ Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁴ ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁵ School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Abstract

The gut microbiome has been implicated in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) pathophysiology. PCOS is a disorder with reproductive, endocrine and metabolic irregularities, and several studies report that PCOS is associated with a decrease in microbial diversity and composition. Diet is an important regulator of the gut microbiome, as alterations in macronutrient composition impact the balance of gut microbial communities. This study investigated the interplay between macronutrient balance and PCOS on the gut microbiome of control and dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced PCOS-like mice exposed to diets that varied in protein (P), carbohydrate (C) and fat (F) content. The amount of dietary P, C and F consumed significantly altered alpha (α) and beta (β) diversity of the gut microbiota of control and PCOS-like mice. However, α-diversity between control and PCOS-like mice on the same diet did not differ significantly. In contrast, β-diversity was significantly altered by PCOS pathology. Further analysis identified an operational taxonomic unit (OTU) within Bacteroides (OTU3) with 99.2% similarity to Bacteroides acidifaciens, which is inversely associated with obesity, to be significantly decreased in PCOS-like mice. Additionally, this study investigated the role of the gut microbiome in the development of PCOS traits, whereby PCOS-like mice were transplanted with healthy fecal microbiota from control mice. Although the PCOS gut microbiome shifted toward that of control mice, PCOS traits were not ameliorated. Overall, these findings demonstrate that while diet exerts a stronger influence over gut microbiota diversity than PCOS pathology, overall gut microbiota composition is affected by PCOS pathology.

Keywords: Microbiome; PCOS; animal model; diet; hyperandrogenism; polycystic ovary syndrome.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Diet
Disease Models, Animal
Feces
Female
Gastrointestinal Microbiome* / physiology
Humans
Mice
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) [APP1158540]; Australian NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome [APP1078444].