A preliminary study of the salivary microbiota of young male subjects before, during, and after acute high-altitude exposure

PeerJ

article

Qian Zhou¹  Yuhui Chen²  Guozhu Liu³  Pengyan Qiao²  Chuhua Tang¹ 

[1] The fifth Clinical Medical College of Anhui Medical University, Clinical College of Anhui Medical University;Department of Stomatology, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center;The 32183 Military Hospital of PLA

关键词: Acute altitude exposure;    Saliva;    16S rRNA;    Microbiota;    Diversity;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.15537

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe microbial community structure in saliva differs at different altitudes. However, the impact of acute high-altitude exposure on the oral microbiota is unclear. This study explored the impact of acute high-altitude exposure on the salivary microbiome to establish a foundation for the future prevention of oral diseases. Methods. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected from 12 male subjects at the following three time points: one day before entering high altitude (an altitude of 350 m, pre-altitude group), seven days after arrival at high altitude (an altitude of 4,500 m, altitude group) and seven days after returning to low altitude (an altitude of 350 m, post-altitude group). Thus, a total of 36 saliva samples were obtained. 16S rRNA V3-V4 region amplicon sequencing was used to analyze the diversity and structure of the salivary microbial communities, and a network analysis was employed to investigate the relationships among salivary microorganisms. The function of these microorganisms was predicted with a Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) analysis.ResultsIn total, there were 756 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) identified, with 541, 613, and 615 OTUs identified in the pre-altitude, altitude, and post-altitude groups, respectively. Acute high-altitude exposure decreased the diversity of the salivary microbiome. Prior to acute high-altitude exposure, the microbiome mainly consisted of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria, and Actinobacteria. After altitude exposure, the relative abundance of Streptococcus and Veillonella increased, and the relative abundance of Prevotella, Porphyromonas, and Alloprevotella decreased. The relationship among the salivary microorganisms was also affected by acute high-altitude exposure. The relative abundance of carbohydrate metabolism gene functions was upregulated, while the relative abundance of coenzyme and vitamin metabolism gene functions was downregulated.ConclusionRapid high-altitude exposure decreased the biodiversity of the salivary microbiome, changing the community structure, symbiotic relationships among species, and abundance of functional genes. This suggests that the stress of acute high-altitude exposure influenced the stability of the salivary microbiome.

【 授权许可】

CC BY