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Neonatal enteral antibiotics reduce gut inflammation and delay systemic immune development in preterm pigs

René Liang Shen1, Ziyuan Wu1, Xiaoyu Pan1

  • 1Comparative Pediatrics, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Pediatric Research
|October 3, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Neonatal antibiotics given to preterm infants reduce gut inflammation but delay systemic immune development. These effects persist after treatment, potentially increasing infection risk.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal immunology
  • Gastrointestinal health
  • Systemic immune development

Background:

  • Antibiotics are crucial for treating infections in preterm infants.
  • The impact of neonatal antibiotics on gut health and immune system development remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the systemic immune effects of early-life antibiotic exposure in a preterm pig model.
  • To understand the long-term consequences of antibiotics on immune cell development and gut health.

Main Methods:

  • Preterm pigs received four days of enteral antibiotics (AB) or water (control) post-birth.
  • Blood and gut samples were collected at various time points up to 9 days after birth.
  • Systemic immune responses were analyzed using transcriptomics and immune marker expression.

Main Results:

  • Antibiotic treatment delayed the temporal development of key immune markers (TLR2, TLR3, S100A9, IL10) in blood.
  • Blood transcriptomics revealed suppressed inflammatory and energy metabolism pathways in AB-treated pigs.
  • Reduced gut inflammation, lower intestinal permeability, and decreased bacterial adhesion were observed in AB-treated pigs.

Conclusions:

  • Neonatal antibiotics attenuate gut inflammation but delay systemic immune development.
  • These effects persist after antibiotic cessation, potentially impairing the capacity to combat infections.
  • Neonatal antibiotic use highlights a complex interplay between gut health and systemic immunity, influencing future infection risk.
Abstract

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