Metagenomic sequencing of feces in adolescent and adult female offspring born to polycystic ovary syndrome rats

Emerging evidence suggests that maternal gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in defining the gut microbiota of infants and later-life health. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), as a common endocrine and metabolic disorder in women of reproductive age, is associated with disordered gut microbiota. However, whether maternal PCOS influences the gut microbiome of offspring in both short- and long-term remains unclear. In the present study, adolescent (5 weeks old) and adult (13 weeks old) female offspring born to PCOS model rats were assessed, and metagenomic sequencing was performed (n = 8 in each group). We found that the adolescent female offspring had significantly decreased alpha diversity and changed beta diversity, which was not found in the adult offspring. Moreover, we found altered tryptophan metabolism in gut microbiota which might be associated with the neurodevelopmental abnormalities of adolescent female offspring through the gut-brain axis.