Comparison of vaginal microbial community structure in healthy and endometritis dairy cows by PCR-DGGE and real-time PCR. (April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Jun; Sun, Chengtao; Liu, Chang; Yang, Yujiang; Lu, Wenfa
• Is Part Of: Anaerobe. Volume 38(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 6
• Publication Date: 2016-04
• Subjects: PCR-DGGE -- Real-time PCR -- Vaginal bacteria microflora -- Endometritis -- Cows; Anaerobic infections -- Periodicals; Anaerobic bacteria -- Periodicals; Bacterial diseases -- Periodicals; Computer network resources; Anaerobic protozoa -- Periodicals; 579.3
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2015.11.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1075-9964

Abstract

Abstract: The normal vaginal microflora provides protection against infections of the reproductive tract. Previous studies have focused on the isolation and screening of probiotic strains from the vagina of cows; however, the vaginal microflora of postpartum cows is poorly characterized. The present study was conducted to evaluate and characterize the vaginal microflora of healthy postpartum cows in relation to postpartum cows with endometritis by using PCR followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and Real-time PCR. The study population comprised 5 healthy cows and 5 cows with endometritis. The results indicated that the vaginal bacterial microflora of healthy postpartum cows was dominated by Lactobacillus sakei subsp. and Weissella koreensis, while there were no dominant bacterial species in the vaginal microflora of postpartum cows with endometritis. Common microorganisms such as Bacteroides spp., Fusobacterium spp., Enterococcus spp., Prevotella spp., Clostridium perfringens strains, and Escherichia coli were detected in both groups of cows by Real-time PCR. The bacterial diversity in the vagina of cows with endometritis was significantly higher than that in healthy cows. The results indicated that the vaginal microflora of cows with endometritis was more diverse and lacked dominant bacterial species as compared to that of the healthy cows, suggesting that disruption of the normal vaginal microflora may contribute to the onset of endometritis. This microbial community analysis provided information that might be used to develop probiotics to treat endometritis in cows; however, further investigation is needed. Highlights: We examined the vaginal flora of healthy and endometritic postpartum cows. Lactobacillus sakei subsp. and Weissella koreensis dominated flora of healthy cows. Vaginal flora of endometritic postpartum cows had no dominant bacterial species. Loss of the dominant species in the vaginal flora could contribute to onset of endometritis.