Comparison of Effects of and Spontaneous Colitis on the Proximal Colon Microbiota in C3H/HeJ and C3Bir IL10 Mice.

The nematode has been shown to interact with specific enteric bacteria, but its effects on the composition of its host's microbial community are not fully understood. We hypothesized that -infected mice would have altered colon microbiota as compared with uninfected mice. Colon histopathology and microbial community structure and composition were examined in mouse models of colitis (C3BirTLR4 IL10 and C3H/HeJ TLR4 IL10 mice) with and without infection, in uninfected C3BirIL10 mice with and without spontaneous colitis, and in normal C3H/ HeJ mice.

Ecological characterization of the colonic microbiota of normal and diarrheic dogs.

We used terminal restriction fragment polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis to assess (1) stability of the fecal microbiota in dogs living in environments characterized by varying degrees of exposure to factors that might alter the microbiota and (2) changes in the microbiota associated with acute episodes of diarrhea. Results showed that the healthy canine GI tract harbors potential enteric pathogens. Dogs living in an environment providing minimal exposure to factors that might alter the microbiota had similar microbiotas; the microbiotas of dogs kept in more variable environments were more variable.