Oral Infection Alters the Gut Microbiota in a Rat Model

Begin with a rat model with sutures tied around its upper molar teeth to support bacterial colonization.

Repeatedly smear the sutures with a gum disease-causing oral pathogenic bacterium using a gel-like solution.

The bacteria colonize the gum around the sutures.

Colonization triggers inflammation and damages the tissues.

The bacteria release toxins that diffuse through damaged tissues and enter the bloodstream.

These circulating toxins reach the gut, cause inflammation, disrupt the epithelial barrier, and increase its permeability.

The toxins enter the gut environment and kill the beneficial bacteria.

This favors the growth of pathogenic bacteria, altering the gut microbiota balance.

Collect the rat fecal sample and add the extraction reagent to get the bacterial DNA.

Add amplification reagents and run a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the specific region of bacterial DNA.

The amplified DNA is ready for sequencing to identify and evaluate shifts in gut microbiota induced by the oral infection.