The Microbiota and Equine Asthma: An Integrative View of the Gut-Lung Axis.
Authors: Leduc Laurence, Costa Marcio, Leclère Mathilde
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: The Microbiota and Equine Asthma Equine asthma represents a persistent clinical challenge, yet emerging evidence suggests the underlying mechanisms extend far beyond the respiratory tract itself—implicating instead the bidirectional communication pathway between gut and lung microbiota known as the gut-lung axis. Leduc, Costa, and Leclère's 2024 review synthesised current understanding of how microbial communities and host-microbe interactions in the gastrointestinal tract can systemically influence immunological responses in the lungs, drawing parallels between equine and human asthma pathogenesis to identify shared mechanistic principles. The authors propose that dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) within the equine gut may promote inflammatory cascades that predispose to or perpetuate airway disease, highlighting the complex interplay of host genetics, environmental triggers, and microbial composition as critical factors in disease development and persistence. Their integrative framework emphasises that therapeutic manipulation of the gut microbiota through targeted interventions—particularly faecal microbiota transplantation, probiotics, and prebiotics—represents an underexplored avenue for asthma management. For practitioners managing respiratory-compromised horses, this perspective shifts focus upstream to the digestive ecosystem; investigating and optimising gut health may offer complementary benefits alongside conventional environmental and pharmaceutical management strategies.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Consider gut health as part of a comprehensive asthma management strategy in horses; dysbiosis may contribute to respiratory disease susceptibility
- •Microbiota-modulating interventions (probiotics, prebiotics, FMT) may represent emerging treatment options alongside traditional asthma management protocols
- •Monitor and optimize dietary factors that support beneficial gut microbiota composition in horses with respiratory disease
Key Findings
- •The gut-lung axis represents a bidirectional communication system where microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions in the gut can influence immunological responses in the lungs
- •Complex pathways and connections between gut microbiota composition and equine asthma development and persistence are documented
- •Microbiota-modulating therapies including fecal microbiota transplants, probiotics, and prebiotics show potential for managing asthma in horses