Alcohol-induced changes in the gut microbiome and metabolome of rhesus macaques.

Rationale: Increasing evidence has demonstrated that changes in the gut microbiome, including those associated with dietary influences, are associated with alterations in many physiological processes. Alcohol consumption is common across human cultures and is likely to have a major effect on the gut microbiome, but there remains a paucity of information on its effects in primates.

Objectives: The effects of chronic alcohol consumption on the primate gut microbiome and metabolome were studied in rhesus macaques that were freely drinking alcohol.