Ethanol-Driven Microbiome Shifts and Metabolic Impairment
This project investigated the systemic consequences of chronic voluntary ethanol consumption in female C57BL/6J mice over a 60-week period. Mice were provided 20% ethanol in their drinking water ad libitum, offering a physiologically relevant model of chronic alcohol intake. Fecal samples were collected at week 56 for 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V3-V4 region) to characterize ethanol-induced shifts in gut microbiota composition. These data are part of a larger study examining the gut-liver axis, metabolic dysfunction, hepatic injury, and systemic inflammation following long-term ethanol exposure. Overall, the findings offer insight into how the gut microbiome may mediate the pathological effects of chronic alcohol consumption.