Dysbiosis of the Female Murine Gut Microbiome Exacerbates Neutrophil-mediated Vascular Allograft Injury by Affecting Immunoregulation by Acetate.

Background: The gut microbiota affects immune responses that cause organ transplant rejection, but the mechanisms by which this occurs remain poorly understood.

Methods: We have examined, in a murine model, how disruption of the gut microbiota with antibiotics early in life alters this microbial community later in life to affect immune responses that injure vascular allografts.

Results: Analysis of 16S rRNA and whole genome sequencing of the gut microbiota demonstrated that early life disruption of this microbial community with antibiotics caused a reduction in taxa and enzymatic genes involved in the synthesis of acetate, an immunoregulatory metabolite in mice and humans.