Effect of Chitosan Microparticles on the Uterine Microbiome of Dairy Cows with Metritis

GALVÃO, KLIBS N.; DE OLIVEIRA, EDUARDO B.; CUNHA, FEDERICO; DAETZ, RODOLFO; JONES, KRISTI; MA, ZHENGXIN; JEONG, KWANGCHEOL C.; BICALHO, RODRIGO C.; HIGGINS, CATHERINE H.; RODRIGUES, MARJORY X.; GONZALEZ MORENO, CANDELARIA; JEON, SOOJIN

APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY

AMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2020 vol. 86

0099-2240

The objective was to evaluate the effect of chitosan microparticles on the uterine microbiome of cows with metritis. Dairy cows with metritis (n = 89) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: Chitosan microparticles (n = 21) = intrauterine infusion of 24 g of chitosan microparticles at metritis diagnosis (D0), D2 and D4; Ceftiofur (n = 25) = subcutaneous injection of ceftiofur on D0 and D3; Control (n = 23) = no treatment. Healthy (n = 20) cows matched by days postpartum at metritis diagnosis were included. Uterine swabs collected on D0, D3, D6, D9, and D12 were used for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and qPCR for total bacterial quantification. Principal coordinate analysis at the phylum and genus level showed that on D3, Chitosan microparticles was different from Ceftiofur and Control, which had progressed towards Healthy. Ceftiofur became similar to Healthy at the phylum level by D9, whereas CM and CON only became similar to HTH by D12. Linear discriminant analysis showed that differences on D3 were mainly due to a greater relative abundance of Fusobacteria, particularly Fusobacterium in Chitosan microparticles compared with Ceftiofur and Control. On D6 and D9, CM had greater total bacterial counts than CON. On D12, CM and CON had greater total bacterial counts than HTH, whereas Ceftiofur was similar to HTH. In summary, Chitosan microparticles slowed the progression towards a healthy uterine microbiome, whereas Ceftiofur hastened the progression towards health.