Association between aging-dependent gut microbiome dysbiosis and dry eye severity in C57BL/6 male mouse model: a pilot study

• Published in: BMC microbiology Vol. 21; no. 1; p. 106
• Main Authors: Yoon, Chang Ho, Ryu, Jin Suk, Moon, Jayoon, Kim, Mee Kum
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 09.04.2021; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: 16S rRNA; Age; Age related diseases; Aging; Alistipes; Analysis; Bacteroidetes; Complications and side effects; Cornea; Cyanobacteria; Cytokines; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Digestive system; Discriminant analysis; Dry eye; Dry eye syndromes; Dysbacteriosis; Dysbiosis; Eye; Eye diseases; Firmicutes; Helicobacter; Homeostasis; Identification and classification; Inflammation; Intestinal microflora; Males; Microbiome; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Multivariate analysis; Older people; Paraprevotella; Patient outcomes; Prevotella; Probiotics; Proteobacteria; Risk analysis; Risk factors; RNA; rRNA; Secretion; Staining; South Korea; Paraprevotella; Aging; 16S rRNA; Dry eye; Microbiome
• ISSN: 1471-2180; 1471-2180
• DOI: 10.1186/s12866-021-02173-7

While aging is a potent risk factor of dry eye disease, age-related gut dysbiosis is associated with inflammation and chronic geriatric diseases. Emerging evidence have demonstrated that gut dysbiosis contributes to the pathophysiology or exacerbation of ocular diseases including dry eye disease. However, the relationship between aging-related changes in gut microbiota and dry eye disease has not been elucidated. In this pilot study, we investigated the association between aging-dependent microbiome changes and dry eye severity in C57BL/6 male mice. Eight-week-old (8 W, n = 15), one-year-old (1Y, n = 10), and two-year-old (2Y, n = 8) C57BL/6 male mice were used. Dry eye severity was assessed by corneal staining scores and tear secretion. Bacterial genomic 16 s rRNA from feces was analyzed. Main outcomes were microbiome compositional differences among the groups and their correlation to dry eye severity. In aged mice (1Y and 2Y), corneal staining increased and tear secretion decreased with statistical significance. Gut microbiome α-diversity was not different among the groups. However, β-diversity was significantly different among the groups. In univariate analysis, phylum Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and genus Alistipes, Bacteroides, Prevotella, Paraprevotella, and Helicobacter were significantly related to dry eye severity. After adjustment of age, multivariate analysis revealed phylum Proteobacteria, Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and genus Lactobacillus, Alistipes, Prevotella, Paraprevotella, and Helicobacter to be significantly associated with dry eye severity. Our pilot study suggests that aging-dependent changes in microbiome composition are related to severity of dry eye signs in C57BL/6 male mice.