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Updated: Aug 20, 2025

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
Neonatal development of intestinal neuroimmune interactions
Ellen Merrick Schill1, Alexandria N Floyd2, Rodney D Newberry2
1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA; Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Abstract:
Interactions between the enteric nervous system (ENS), immune system, and gut microbiota regulate intestinal homeostasis in adults, but their development and role(s) in early life are relatively underexplored. In early life, these interactions are dynamic, because the mucosal immune system, microbiota, and the ENS are developing and influencing each other. Moreover, disrupting gut microbiota and gut immune system development, and potentially ENS development, by early-life antibiotic exposure increases the risk of diseases affecting the gut. Here, we review the development of the ENS and immune/epithelial cells, and identify potential critical periods for their interactions and development. We also highlight knowledge gaps that, when addressed, may help promote intestinal homeostasis, including in the settings of early-life antibiotic exposure.
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