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Updated: Jul 4, 2025
Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage
Published on: January 27, 2019
Impact of perinatal administration of probiotics on immune cell composition in neonatal mice
Jessica Rühle1, Julian Schwarz1, Stefanie Dietz1,2
1Department of Neonatology, Tuebingen University Children's Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany.
Insights
Perinatal probiotic exposure significantly altered immune cell composition in newborn mice, impacting the intestine, liver, and lungs. This study enhances understanding of how probiotics affect the developing immune system in neonates.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Neonates and preterm infants are highly susceptible to infections.
- Intestinal flora pathogens can precede disease onset in newborns.
- Probiotics are used in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to prevent infections, but their mechanisms are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of perinatal probiotic exposure on immune cell composition in newborn mice.
- To understand the interaction of probiotics with the developing immune system.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant mice received oral probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum) from mid-pregnancy until offspring harvest.
- Immune cell composition in offspring organs was analyzed using flow cytometry.
Main Results:
- Probiotic exposure altered immune cell composition in the intestine, liver, and lungs of newborn mice at weaning.
- A reduction in myeloid and B cells, with an induction of T cells, was observed in probiotic-treated mice.
- Probiotic exposure influenced T cell development in the thymus.
Conclusions:
- Perinatal probiotic administration profoundly impacts immune cell composition in neonatal mice.
- Probiotics modulate T cell development and immune cell distribution in key organs.
- Findings contribute to understanding probiotic mechanisms in neonatal immune development.
Background:
Newborns and especially preterm infants are much more susceptible to infections than adults. The pathogens causing infections in newborns are often detectable in the intestinal flora of affected children even before disease onset. Therefore, it seems reasonable to prevent dysbiosis in newborns and preterm infants. An approach followed in many neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is to prevent infections in preterm infants with probiotics however their mechanisms of action of probiotics are incompletely understood. Here, we investigated the effect of perinatal probiotic exposure on immune cells in newborn mice.
Methods:
Pregnant mice were orally treated with a combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum (Infloran®) from mid-pregnancy until the offspring were harvested. Immune cell composition in organs of the offspring were analyzed by flow cytometry.
Results:
Perinatal probiotic exposure had profound effects on immune cell composition in the intestine, liver and lungs of newborn mice with reduction of myeloid and B cells and induction of T cells in the probiotic treated animals' organs at weaning. Furthermore, probiotic exposure had an effect on T cell development in the thymus.
Conclusion:
Our results contribute to a better understanding of the interaction of probiotics with the developing immune system.
Impact:
probiotics have profound effects on immune cell composition in intestines, livers and lungs of newborn mice. probiotics modulate T cell development in thymus of newborn mice. effects of probiotics on neonatal immune cells are particularly relevant in transition phases of the microbiome. our results contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms of action of probiotics in newborns.
