Left displaced abomasum (LDA) in postpartum dairy cows contributes to significant economic losses. Dairy cows with LDA undergo excessive lipid mobilization and insulin resistance. Although gut dysbiosis is implicated, little is known about the role of the gut microbiota in the abnormal metabolic processes of LDA. To investigate the functional links among microbiota, metabolites, and disease phenotypes in LDA, we performed 16S rDNA gene amplicon sequencing and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of fecal samples from cows with LDA (n = 10) and healthy cows (n = 10). Plasma marker profiling was synchronously analyzed. In the LDA event, gut microbiota composition and fecal metabolome were shifted in circulation with an amino acid pool deficit in dairy cows. Compared with the healthy cows, salicylic acid derived from microbiota catabolism was decreased in the LDA cows, which negatively correlated with Akkermansia, Prevotella, non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), and β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) levels. Conversely, fecal taurolithocholic acid levels were increased in cows with LDA. Based on integrated analysis with the plasma metabolome, eight genera and eight metabolites were associated with LDA. Of note, the increases in Akkermansia and Oscillospira abundances were negatively correlated with the decreases in 4-pyridoxic acid and cytidine levels, and positively correlated with the increases in NEFA and BHBA levels in amino acid deficit, indicating pyridoxal metabolism-associated gut dysbiosis and lipolysis. Changes in branched-chain amino acids implicated novel host-microbial metabolic pathways involving lipolysis and insulin resistance in cows with LDA. Overall, these results suggest an interplay between host and gut microbes contributing to LDA pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE LDA is a major contributor to economic losses in the dairy industry worldwide; however, the mechanisms associated with the metabolic changes in LDA remain unclear. Most previous studies have focused on the rumen microbiota in terms of understanding the contributors to the productivity and health of dairy cows; this study further sheds light on the relevance of the lower gut microbiota and its associated metabolites in mediating the development of LDA. This study is the first to characterize the correlation between gut microbes and metabolic phenotypes in dairy cows with LDA by leveraging multi-omics data, highlighting that the gut microbe may be involved in the regulation of lipolysis and insulin resistance by modulating the amino acid composition. Moreover, this study provides new markers for further research to understand the pathogenesis of the disease as well as to develop effective treatment and prevention strategies.
Keywords: amino acids; cattle; dairy cows; gut dysbiosis; gut microbiota; host-microbial metabolism; left displaced abomasum; metabolism.