Maternal adaptive immunity influences the intestinal microflora of suckling mice

The microflorae in the intestine of breast-fed infants are distinct from those that typically populate the intestine of formula-fed infants. Although the acquisition of passive immunity through breast-feeding may play a critical role in influencing the pattern of bacterial colonization of the gut, the precise mechanisms underlying the differences in the commensal microflorae of breast and formula-fed children have not been established. We hypothesized that the assemblage of commensal microflorae in suckling and weaned mice may be influenced by the maternal adaptive immune system. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the intestinal microflorae of mice reared in the presence (wild-type) or absence of an intact maternal immune system (T- and B-cell deficient). Several types of bacteria (Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Clostridium perfringens, Bifidobacterium, and Bacteroides) were isolated and enumerated from both the small and large intestine of 10-, 18-, 25- and 40- to 60-d old mice using selective media. The densities of bacteria were significantly lower in the small intestine of weaned mice that were reared by wild-type (WT) compared with immunodeficient (ID) dams. However, the microflorae were generally more abundant in the large intestine of suckling pups reared by WT compared with ID dams. Our results indicate that intestinal microflorae change throughout the suckling phase of development and that the maternal adaptive immune system influences the pattern and abundance of bacteria within the gut in an age- and site-specific manner.