Data from: Impact of helminth infections and nutritional constraints on the small intestine microbiota

Helminth infections and nutrition can independently alter the composition and abundance of the gastrointestinal microbiota, however, their combined effect is poorly understood. Here, we used the T. retortaeformis-rabbit system to examine how the helminth infection and host restriction from coprophagy/ready-to-absorb nutrients affected the duodenal microbiota, and how these changes related to the acquired immune response at the site of infection. A factorial experiment was performed where the bacterial community, its functionality and the immune response were examined in four treatments (Infect, Infect+Collar, Control+Collar and Control). Helminths reduced the diversity and abundance of the microbiota while the combination of parasites and coprophagic restriction led to a more diversified and abundant microbiota than infected cases, without significantly affecting the intensity of infection. Animals restricted from coprophagy and free from parasites exhibited the richest and most abundant bacterial community. By forcing the individuals to absorb nutrients from less digested food, the coprophagic restriction appears to have facilitated the diversity and proliferation of bacteria in the duodenum. Changes in the microbiota were more clearly associated with changes in the immune response for the infected than the nutrient restricted animals. The functional and metabolic characteristics of the duodenal microbiota were not significantly different between treatments. Overall, infection and diet affect the gut microbiota but their interactions and outcome can be complex. These findings can have important implications for the development of control measures to helminth infections where poor nutrition/malnutrition can also be a concern.

蠕虫感染与营养状况均可独立改变胃肠道微生物群（gastrointestinal microbiota）的组成与丰度，但二者的联合效应目前仍未得到充分阐明。本研究采用T. retortaeformis-兔模型体系，探究蠕虫感染与宿主食粪行为（coprophagy）限制、可直接吸收营养物质如何影响十二指肠微生物群（duodenal microbiota），以及这些变化与感染部位获得性免疫应答（acquired immune response）的关联。本研究开展析因实验（factorial experiment），针对四种处理组（感染组、感染+食粪限制组、对照+食粪限制组以及空白对照组）的细菌群落、群落功能以及免疫应答进行检测。蠕虫感染可降低微生物群的多样性与丰度；而寄生虫感染与食粪限制的联合处理，其十二指肠微生物群的多样性与丰度均高于单纯感染组，且未对感染强度产生显著影响。未感染寄生虫且受食粪行为限制的实验动物，其十二指肠细菌群落的多样性与丰度均为最高。通过迫使实验动物从消化程度更低的食物中摄取营养，食粪限制似乎促进了十二指肠细菌的多样性增殖与群落丰度提升。相较于营养限制组动物，感染组的微生物群变化与免疫应答变化的关联更为显著。不同处理组的十二指肠微生物群功能与代谢特征均无显著差异。总体而言，蠕虫感染与饮食状况均可影响肠道微生物群，但二者的交互作用及其最终效应较为复杂。本研究结果对于开发蠕虫感染防控策略具有重要参考价值——在这类防控工作中，营养不良问题同样值得关注。