Cesarean section increases sensitivity to oxazolone-induced colitis in C57BL/6 mice

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Cesarean section (CS) delivery is linked to an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children.
• This may be due to altered gut microbial colonization and impaired immune system development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between CS and experimental colitis in a mouse model.
• To determine if CS delivery exacerbates colonic inflammation due to changes in gut microbiota (GM) composition.

Main Methods:

• C57BL/6 mice delivered via CS or vaginal delivery (VD) were challenged with oxazolone to induce colitis.
• Colitis symptoms, inflammatory markers (TNF-α, MPO), gut integrity gene expression, and GM composition were analyzed.
• Germ-free mice were inoculated with GM from CS-delivered mice to assess its contribution to colitis.

Main Results:

• CS-delivered mice showed increased weight loss, colon weight, and higher levels of TNF-α and MPO compared to VD mice.
• CS mice exhibited increased inflammatory cell infiltration and downregulated expression of gut integrity genes (occludin, tight junction protein 1).
• Gut microbiota from CS-delivered mice partially transferred increased colitis susceptibility to germ-free recipients.

Conclusions:

• Cesarean section delivery increases susceptibility to oxazolone-induced colitis in mice.
• Altered gut microbiota composition following CS may contribute to heightened colonic inflammation and impaired gut barrier function.