Abstract:

Laboratory animals serve as foundational models in life science research, acting as surrogates for human physiology, pathology, and disease treatment. They play an irreplaceable role in basic research, drug development, and translational medicine. The gut microbiota, a complex microbial community comprising bacteria, fungi, viruses, and single-celled organisms, colonizes the host's intestinal tract and is closely associated with the maintenance of normal physiological functions and overall health. Studies have shown that dysbiosis of the gut microbiota can lead to various diseases, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, inflammatory bowel disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, characterizing the gut microbial composition of laboratory animals can not only enhance the reliability of experimental outcomes but also facilitates the translational application of animal experimental findings. Sex differences represent a critical variable in biological research, which significantly influence the physiological functions, metabolic traits, and gut microbial composition of laboratory animals. However, a pronounced sex bias persists in many biological studies, thereby limiting the generalizability of results. This study focuses on ten commonly used laboratory animals in life sciences - mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, dogs, cats, non-human primates, miniature pigs, and chickens - to systematically summarize their gut microbial composition and analyze sex-specific differences in selected species. Furthermore, by comparing the gut microbiota of laboratory animals with that of humans, this study offers novel perspectives for comparative medical research. In summary, this work advances researchers' understanding of gut microbiota characteristics and sex-dependent variations across laboratory animal species,and provides practical guidance for selecting appropriate animal models, constructing sex-specific disease models, and interpreting experimental results in scientific studies.

Key words: Gut microbiota, Laboratory animals, Gender difference