Feto-maternal microbiome in small animal

Korte beschrijving

This research focuses on the time and dynamics of pioneering bacterial colonization in dogs and cats, investigating whether the placenta, amniotic fluid, and meconium of canine and feline fetuses and newborns host a resident microbiota. The microbiome is considered as a potential factor influencing the risk of future diseases in animals. In the first chapter, the limitations of current research and the anatomical and physiological differences of the feto-maternal connection between different species are discussed, emphasizing the need for species-specific research to investigate the feto-maternal microbiome in small animals. The chapter also introduces the technical challenges in detecting and analyzing bacterial presence in low-biomass samples like those found in the fetal environment. The experimental work focuses firstly on the presence of bacteria in canine and feline feto-maternal units at term during elective cesarean sections using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bacterial culture, in samples derived from the placenta, amniotic fluid, and meconium. The findings reveal the presence of bacterial DNA in these tissues, challenging the traditional view of a sterile fetal environment.