Intestinal flora changes in a mouse model of transverse aortic constriction

Objective To investigate intestinal microbiota changes of model mice with transverse aortic constriction (TAC) to find a new target point for preventing and treating cardiovascular disease. Methods Twelve C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into TAC model group (group TN) and control group (group N) of 6 mice each. The group TN received minimally invasive surgery for ligating the aorta to make its constriction to the appropriate degree, while the group N received same operation but no constriction. Faecal samples were collected 22 days after the treatment. Intestinal flora were determined by 16S rDNA pyrosequencing and bioinformatics clustering analysis were performed with software of Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology. Results A higher abundance of Parabacteroides and a lower abundances of Lactobacillaceae, Lactobacillus and Cocleatum were present in TAC mice compared with the controls. Conclusion Intestinal flora changes would take place in the TAC mice. Intestinal flora may be a potential target for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, but further validation should be performed to verify the relationship between those intestinal flora changes and disease progression in animal models. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2016.10.0