Cecal microbiota may affect hair follicle density

The relationship between gut microbiota and the skin has become increasingly clear with the discovery of the gut-brain-skin axis.To understand this relationship in greater detail, this study analyzed the relationship between gut microbiota and hair follicles , while exploring the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Using Rex rabbits as an animal model, one hundred healthy half sibling Rex rabbits were selected for the experiment, and 16s rRNA sequencing was performed on the cecal microbiota of nine rabbits with the extremely high and low hair density to determine differences between the composition and function of these communities. Several alpha diversity index values were significantly lower in the high density group compared to the low hair density group, although the beta diversity of the Operational Taxonomic Units structure was higher in the high density group rabbits. Additionally, species diversity and abundance differed significantly in the cecum microbiota of high density and low hair density rabbits. Cumulatively the results of this study suggest that cecum microbiota may induce hair follicle proliferation in rabbits