Preconception helminth infection alters offspring microbiota and immune subsets in mouse model
Donald D. Nyangahu of the Division of Immunology (DOI) recently authored a paper entitled “Preconception helminth infection alters offspring microbiota and immune subsets in mouse model” with co-authors from the DOI; Matthew Darby, Enock Havyarimana, William Horsnell, Heather B. Jaspan published on 31 March 2020 in Parasite Immunology.
It is thought that maternal microbiota and helminth infection could alter offspring immunity, but the relationship between them has not been explored deeply. The DOI authors hypothesized that exposure to helminths prior to pregnancy has lasting consequences on the offspring’s intestinal microbiota and immunity.
The researchers infected Female BALB/c adult mice with 500L3 Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (N brasiliensis). “Infection was cleared by ivermectin treatment, and mice were mated 3 weeks post-infection (NbM). Control mice were not infected but were exposed to ivermectin (NvM).” The maternal gut microbiota were analysed during pregnancy as well as breastmilk microbiota and offspring faecal microbiota and immunity 2 weeks after delivery. “During pregnancy, NbM (Mothers previously infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis) displayed significantly altered stool bacterial communities (R2 = .242; P = .001), with increased abundance of Enterococcaceae versus NvM (Naive mothers).”
Similarly, the DOI researchers “observed a profound impact on breastmilk microbiota in NbM vs NvM. Moreover, NbM pups showed significantly altered gut microbial communities at 14 days of age versus those born to NvM with increased relative abundance of Coriobacteriaceae and Micrococcaceae.”
The changes seen were associated with “alterations in pup immunity including increased frequencies and numbers of activated CD4 T cells (CD4 + CD44hi) in NbM offspring spleens.”
Taken together, Donald D. Nyangahu and the DOI co-authors show that preconception helminth infections impact offspring immunity possibly through alteration of maternal and offspring microbiota.
Read the paper - Preconception helminth infection alters offspring microbiota and immune subsets in mouse model
Article by Bonamy Holtak