ASSESSMENT OF MICROBIOTA COMPOSITION IN THE NOSTRILS AND SUBGLOTTIC AREA OF BRACHYCEPHALIC DOGS WITH AND WITHOUT BRACHYCEPHALIC OBSTRUCTIVE AIRWAY SYNDROME (BOAS)

• Grant number: 25/01611-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: June 02, 2025
• End date: September 01, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Paola Castro Moraes
• Grantee: Herlem Camila Pinto da Silva
• Supervisor: Luca Guardabassi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/18069-9 - DETERMINATION OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE NASAL MICROBIOTA AND SUBGLOTIC AREA IN BRACHYCEPHALIC DOGS OF THE FRENCH BULLDOG BREED WHETHER OR NOT AFFECTED BY BRACHYCEPHALIC AIR OBSTRUCTIVE SYNDROME (SOAB), BP.MS

Abstract

Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) is a well-recognized condition characterized by anatomopathological changes that lead to partial airway obstruction in brachycephalic dog breeds. These alterations result in various clinical manifestations that impact the overall health of affected animals. Similar to human patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, dogs with BOAS experience intermittent hypoxia, which can trigger systemic inflammation and the generation of free radicals. This, in turn, may affect multiple organ systems and potentially influence the composition of the commensal microbiota. We propose a prospective study aimed at evaluating the taxonomic composition of microorganisms in the nasal cavity and subglottic area of BOAS-affected dogs (Grade II and III) and unaffected or mildly affected dogs (Grade 0 and I). Metagenomic analysis will be performed using 16S rRNA and shotgun sequencing.