Our research team has published findings on alcohol-induced changes in the gut microbiome and metabolome of rhesus macaques in Psychopharmacology.
Study Overview: This investigation examines the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on the primate gut microbiome and metabolome in rhesus macaques that were freely drinking alcohol. The study aimed to determine what changes occurred in the gut microbiome following long-term exposure to alcohol and whether these changes were reversible following a period of abstinence.
Key Findings:
- Microbiome Diversity: Alcohol consumption resulted in a loss of alpha-diversity in rhesus macaques, though this was partially ameliorated by a period of abstinence
- Taxonomic Changes: Higher levels of Firmicutes were observed in alcohol-drinking animals at the expense of other microbial taxa, with partial normalization during abstinence
- Metabolomic Effects: Changes were primarily associated with differences in glycolysis when animals were consuming alcohol and differences in fatty acids when alcohol-drinking animals became abstinent
- Reversibility: Many of the alcohol-induced changes were reversed by a relatively short period of abstinence
Significance: This study addresses the paucity of information on alcohol’s effects on the gut microbiome in primates, providing crucial insights into how alcohol consumption affects physiological processes through microbiome alterations. The findings demonstrate that alcohol has specific effects on the microbiome and metabolome independent of secondary influences.
Citation: Zhang X, Yasuda K, Gilmore RA, Westmoreland SV, Platt DM, Miller GM, Vallender EJ. Alcohol-induced changes in the gut microbiome and metabolome of rhesus macaques. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2019 May;236(5):1531-1544.