The Rodent Vaginal Microbiome Across the Estrus Cycle and the Effect of Genital Nerve Stimulation

We describe the composition and diversity of the rat vaginal microbiome as it changes through the estrus cycle. Using lavage sampling and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the vaginal microbiome in both Control and Treatment rats (n=10) collected over a 14 day period, we characterized the community membership and fluctuations in the diversity to determine if there are significant changes in the microbiome due to the 4-5 day estrus cycle. Additionally, we describe the potential effects of genital nerve stimulation, which was provided to Treatment rats, on the abundance and diversity of the rat vaginal microbiome.